Saint Louis Donald Nelson left his Shrewsbury house at around five in the morning one morning in June, only to discover that he was the most recent casualty of a widespread pattern. Vehicle thieves are taking advantage of a flaw in the ignition systems of some well-known car brands.
With little more than a USB cord, it enables thieves to steal thousands of Kias and Hyundais, much like Nelson’s.
Nelson recounted, “When I got out, I believed I was in the Twilight Zone.” “Maybe I parked my automobile in a different spot?” I pondered.
The final few seconds of his 2020 Hyundai Elantra driving away without Nelson in the driver’s seat were captured by his cameras.
“I started wondering right away, “What am I going to do? How will I travel to work? What should I do next? How will my insurance be affected? “asked he.
Kia automobiles from 2015 and Hyundai models from 2012, according to police across the nation, are at risk.
According to St. Louis Police Capt. Janice Bockstruck, thefts of those kinds of cars have increased by almost 400% in St. Louis compared to this time last year.
Bockstruck said that if Hyundais and Kias were excluded from the equation, the city’s overall car theft rate would decrease by 6% rather than increase.
The fact that Kias and Hyundais are more prevalent in our city than other makes and models of cars “speaks volumes in and of itself,” she said.
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According to MPD, thieves like Kia and Hyundai models because they are simpler to steal.
MEMPHIS, Tennessee – In Memphis, thefts of two specific car manufacturers are on the upswing. The principal targets are Hyundai vehicles made after 2015 and Kia models made after 2011.
They are the easiest cars to steal, according to experts, but there are techniques to deter criminals.
How could someone take something that someone has worked so hard to earn? said Tyler Stitt.
Stitt claimed that after returning from work last month, his Kia Optima was gone when he awoke the following morning.
“There were several Kias available when I went to the impound lot. While my wife and I were out there, they even pulled in a Kia that was still functioning. They had abandoned, “Stitt remarked.
It’s not just him. According to Memphis police, thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles, particularly key start models, have increased recently.
The steering column is taken apart, and the thieves use force to override the ignition.
“With these Hyundais and Kias, the steering column is peeled off, a phone charger is installed, and the key’s chip is overridden. Watch this as well “said the man in the video. “Thus, I received ACC. Fire in the hole, keep an eye on this.”
After videos on social media platforms like TikTok demonstrated how simple it is to hotwire cars, the trend spread across the country.
“The steering column is currently in shambles. In the backseat, they peed. Because they continued to drive on it until the wheel cracked, the driver’s side tires are completely destroyed “Alena Clark spoke with FOX13.
Without even considering the body damage, Clark estimated that the cost would be $5,000.
And to make matters worse, according to Clark, the suspects used her car to perpetrate other crimes.
“They forced a man to give up his wallet before taking money from his bank account. utilized the money to post a bail after that “Clark claimed.
Benni Cobb, a retired captain with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, advised getting a steering wheel lock to deter burglars.
Cobb advised getting a steering wheel lock and placing it over the steering column to prevent theft and breakage.
“You can purchase a GPS tracking device. That comes after the event, of course. Having a motion detector in your car will truly alert you if someone enters, “said Cobb.
Memphis police ask that you contact Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH if you see someone committing a crime on TikTok or any other social media app.
Install the FOX13 Memphis app to get notifications of breaking local news.
Due to a “defect,” Hyundai and Kia vehicles are easier to steal, a class action lawsuit claims
According to officials, car thefts are on the upswing in our region (New Jersey). However, a new class action lawsuit claims that some vehicles, regardless of where you live, may be a little simpler to steal as a result of a fault.
All 2011–2021 Hyundai and Kia automobiles are allegedly “simple to steal,” unsafe, and worth less than what owners bought because of a vulnerability afflicting the vehicles’ ignition systems, according to a 33–page lawsuit out of Iowa.
The case claims that Hyundai and Kia vehicles produced between 2011 and 2021 were built and engineered without “engine immobilizers,” a technological security feature that “makes it more difficult to start a vehicle without a key.”
A car burglar only needs to “remove the ignition column… then stick a USB drive, a knife or some other similar tool to start the vehicle without a key or code to steal one of the Hyundais or Kias at issue,” according to the lawsuit. After that, a stolen car can be driven at will, according to the lawsuit.
According to news sources, a social media “trend” has led to the spike in Hyundai and Kia vehicle thefts, particularly in Florida.
According to the lawsuit, Hyundai and Kia were aware that every vehicle produced from 2011 to 2021 was “defective in this manner” but failed to inform customers of the issue. In this instance, even though the automakers had the capability to equip the vehicles with an engine immobilizer or a similar device, they chose not to do so while being aware of how risky it would be to do without the essential theft-prevention step.
Even now, the defendants acknowledge that there is a theft and safety issue with these cars, but they won’t fix them, provide buyers compensation, or do anything else to address the issues their defective cars are causing.
According to media sources, the Hyundai and Kia theft issue has gotten so serious that Milwaukee and other cities have requested the automakers to intervene and take action, but have been met with silence. According to the same reports, dealers are finding it difficult to maintain enough inventories of replacement parts, such as lock cylinders, to repair vehicles that have been recovered due to an increase in Hyundai and Kia thefts.
Using Just a USB Cable, Thieves Are Stealing Hyundais and Kias
Thanks in part to popular social media posts, thieves all around the United States are targeting Hyundai and Kia cars because they are simple targets. Basically, they can start the car and go in less than a minute if it’s a modern car from one of those automakers that doesn’t use push-button start. The only equipment needed is a USB charger, which can be found in almost all cars.
Over the past year, more thefts of both brands have been reported in a number of states. This is consistent with the rise in viewers and sharers of films of the Milwaukee-based “Kia Boyz” speeding around in snatched Korean vehicles.
Videos demonstrate the exact procedure they’re using, which entails removing the steering column cover and disassembling the key hole. The vehicle can then be started, the steering lock released, and the ignition tumbler turned using a USB cord. As a result, the Hyundai or Kia can be started and driven away at any time by utilizing the same cable. The thieves target Korean vehicles with physical key slots in particular because push-button start variants are more difficult to circumvent.
According to reports, vehicles that employ a physical key are vulnerable to this technique because they lack an immobilizer, a factory-installed anti-theft mechanism. These immobilizers check the authenticity of a key against an automobile’s ECU using a chip, or transponder. This implies that the vehicle cannot be started unless the transponder has been matched with the vehicle, even if a thief has copied the physical cuts on a key. The vulnerable Hyundai and Kia vehicles purportedly lack an immobilizer, allowing the thieves to accomplish the same feat on an automobile from the 1980s by simply forcing the ignition cylinder.
Hyundai and Kia representatives claim that the 2022 vehicles are exempt from the technique. Despite this, numerous news organizations have continued to record automobile thefts. When there are no stylistic changes, it’s unlikely that a would-be thief would be able to distinguish a 2022 from a 2021, therefore owners may still be targeted and vandalized even if thieves are unable to drive away.
Milwaukee is probably one of the worst cities in terms of thefts, even though it is not the only one. In fact, more than two-thirds of all vehicle thefts in the city involve Korean cars, and they’ve grown by 2,500 percent annually. Since the situation has “a significant harmful impact on the quality of life for [its] inhabitants,” city alderman Michael Murphy told WISN, Milwaukee has even considering legal action against Hyundai and Kia. A different class action case was filed last June under seal against the automakers and their parent firm, alleging that inadequate security measures are used in the production of the automobiles.
A higher level of security may be something affected Hyundai and Kia owners want to think about adding. For instance, they might decide to buy a wheel lock shaped like a club or an aftermarket immobilizer system. Even if it doesn’t necessarily address the root cause, this does contribute by thwarting potential crimes of opportunity.
Auto thefts have increased as a result of Hyundai and Kia vehicles being too simple to steal.
MINNEAPOLIS — Particularly in the past month, Milwaukee Police have noticed a significant increase in car thefts. Suspects are specifically targeting Kia and Hyundai vehicles, according to MPD.
Suspects are seen on surveillance footage breaking into the Hyundai of Stan Davis’ neighbor in Riverwest. His security system demonstrated that they were able to get the car in under 90 seconds.
In order to avoid setting off the alarm, Davis claimed, “You can see them climbing through the broken window rather than opening the door.”
His kid, who works at Expert Electronics, is not surprised. People coming in to get additional protection installed in their automobiles is increasing significantly, according to the staff.
“Many of our customers have come in with alarms for their cars. Particularly many Kias and Hyundais currently for the alarms, “Douglas Davis noted.
Furthermore, Hyundai and Kia automobiles are simple targets for theft, according to Milwaukee Police Sergeant Efrain Cornejo. Unlike with the majority of current vehicles, they don’t require key fobs to be stolen.
Sergeant Cornejo remarked, “It’s something we are used to seeing with the older autos.
In comparison to this time last year, the MPD reports a sharp increase in car thefts during the past month. 329 automobiles were stolen in Milwaukee in 2020. There were 831 at the same time period this year. That is an increase of 153%. Additionally, more than 60% of those vehicles were either Hyundai or Kias.
The fact that these criminals are not simply taking the cars for fun rides worries the authorities the most.
“Some of them engage in other criminal activities, such as robberies, in addition to reckless driving. Therefore, that is a worry we have, “Cornejo remarked.
According to MPD, thieves target any Kia automobiles produced in 2011 or after. Additionally, they are targeting any Hyundai produced in 2015 or later. Police advise utilizing a steering wheel lock in addition to an alarm to dissuade burglars.