Hyundai and Kia release updates so you can’t just steal their cars with USB cables

After months of thefts that have killed at least eight people, automakers Hyundai and Kia are offering free software updates for about 8.3 million vehicles that can be stolen using a USB-A cable.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday that manufacturers’ updates are making affected vehicles require the key to be in the ignition to start. The keyless car alarm will also sound for one minute instead of 30 seconds. The updates should begin arriving later this month with a phased rollout over the coming months to 3.8 million Hyundai vehicles and 4.5 million Kias vehicles.

According to news reports and at least one class action lawsuit, Kias vehicles manufactured between 2010 and 2021 and Hyundai vehicles manufactured between 2015 and 2021 were the hardest hit. USB-A cable to the appropriate plug. Turning the plug with the cable inserted starts the car because cars lack an engine immobilizer that prevents the engine from starting without a paired key.

By 2015, engine immobilizers were standard on 96 percent of vehicles from most manufacturers, according to a September 2022 report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but they were installed on only 26 percent of Hyundai and Kias vehicles. 2022 models built by both companies now have engine immobilizers. The theft rate for vehicles without an immobilizer was 2.18 per year per 1,000 insured vehicles, compared to an industry average of 1.21 for 2015-2019.

The relative ease of theft might have gone unnoticed were it not for the “Kia Challenge,” a 2022 TikTok trend that showcases techniques and celebrates theft and fun. The NHTSA links 14 reported crashes and eight deaths to the virus problem. Although there is no nationwide data on thefts and related crimes, they are notable.

In Buffalo, New York, where four teenagers were killed in a Kia pleasure ride last fall, Kia thefts increased from 55 in 2020 to 275 in 2022, according to Buffalo News, and 141 were committed, according to Buffalo News. Hyundai car theft. In Washington, D.C., 31% of all 393 car thefts over a roughly three-week period in January involved Kias and Hyundai vehicles, city police told DC News Now. Insurance companies, including State Farm and Progressive, have stopped accepting new insurance policies for many affected Hyundai and Kia models.

One Ars employee had their own Hyundai stolen (pictured above) as part of a wave of thefts. It took approximately two months to return the car, as replacement ignition parts were ordered from local repair shops. An insurance agent told an employee that a customer had his car stolen three times in a row because after each theft, the car returned to its pre-theft state.

Both automakers offered free steering wheel locks to affected customers, sometimes cooperating with local law enforcement. Hyundai also said in a statement to NHTSA that it will issue decals to vehicle owners that will show the vehicle’s updated status. Software updates will require a dealer visit for installation; Hyundai says installation takes about an hour. Update information can be obtained by calling Hyundai at 800-633-5151 or Kia at 800-333-4542.