Hyundai Responds to Rash of Thefts | The Daily Drive | Consumer Guide® The Daily Drive
By Ed Piotrowski
Hyundai has not long ago identified itself in the social media spotlight…for all the incorrect explanations. End users have been sharing video clips on how effortless it can be to steal specific models marketed by the South Korean automaker. The surge in thefts dates back to late 2021. While Hyundai has offered impacted proprietors a no cost steering-wheel lock by area law enforcement agencies, only now are more permanent fixes readily available.
Information from the Detroit Car Show
Hyundai Responds to Rash of Thefts
Afflicted autos consist of the Accent, Elantra, Elantra GT, Kona, Palisade, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Sport, Santa Fe XL, Sonata, Tucson, Veloster, and Venue built between design several years 2016 and 2021 that use a traditional critical to start the motor instead of the additional popular pushbutton-model ignition. For whatever purpose, these vehicles and SUVs do not have an immobilizer, which is a particular chip that communicates with the key to start the motor. Intruders are exploiting this loophole by popping off the steering column go over and plugging in a uncomplicated USB charger to fireplace up the motor. The course of action takes seconds, with the perpetrators likely so far as to movie their crimes and put up them mainly on YouTube and TikTok.
A software fix is presently in improvement with the automaker anticipating to launch it, at what we hope will be no cost, in phases all over calendar 2023. Readily available setting up October 1 was a components-dependent security package manufactured by a 3rd-party firm and offered at all of the brand’s 820 US dealerships. It charges $170 as well as 2.5 several hours of labor for set up, which will convey the last complete to approximately $500. The package deal includes a unit that acts like an motor immobilizer in addition glass split, tilt and effects sensors.
Observe that Hyundai’s company partner Kia has also been afflicted by the rash of thefts. While the two providers share style and design and engineering sources, they operate as independent entities. The problem for Kia is likely much even worse as its susceptible versions date again as much as the 2011 design calendar year, and as of this crafting, they are not providing an anti-theft package like Hyundai is. Complimentary steering-wheel locks are readily available, although.
CG Suggests:
While no cost steering-wheel locks and software updates are a stage in the ideal course, they seem like the proverbial “band-aids on a bullet wound.” Further more, we concern the optics of anticipating customers to pay back upwards of $500 for the immobilizer kit. That might, of training course, not make any difference as Hyundai could stop up footing the monthly bill as a possible settlement for the far more than dozen course-motion lawsuits have been filed, alleging that the deficiency of a proper engine immobilizer was a defect. With up to 10 million impacted vehicles, this could most likely stop up costing the automaker $5 billion on major of any other legal professional and settlement service fees. Really should any owner elect to fork out to have the kit put in, help save your receipt in the occasion that you could sooner or later get reimbursed as a final result of a prospective lawsuit settlement.
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