Hyundai Responds to Rash of Thefts | The Daily Drive | Consumer Guide® The Daily Drive

By Ed Piotrowski

Hyundai has not too long ago identified by itself in the social media spotlight…for all the wrong motives. Consumers have been sharing videos on how quick it can be to steal selected designs bought by the South Korean automaker. The surge in thefts dates back to late 2021. Whilst Hyundai has presented influenced owners a totally free steering-wheel lock by local regulation enforcement agencies, only now are a lot more long-lasting fixes available.

Information from the Detroit Vehicle Demonstrate

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 Location made involving product a long time 2016 and 2021 that use a regular crucial to start the motor as a substitute of the far more common pushbutton-type ignition. For no matter what reason, these autos and SUVs do not have an immobilizer, which is a exclusive chip that communicates with the vital to get started the motor. Robbers are exploiting this loophole by popping off the steering column address and plugging in a basic USB charger to fireplace up the motor. The method can take seconds, with the perpetrators heading so far as to film their crimes and put up them primarily on YouTube and TikTok.

A computer software fix is at this time in improvement with the automaker expecting to launch it, at what we hope will be no charge, in phases through calendar 2023. Available beginning October 1 was a components-primarily based protection package made by a 3rd-party corporation and bought at all of the brand’s 820 US dealerships. It prices $170 moreover 2.5 hours of labor for set up, which will provide the final full to around $500. The deal involves a device that functions like an engine immobilizer moreover glass split, tilt and effects sensors.

Be aware that Hyundai’s corporate companion Kia has also been affected by the rash of thefts. When the two providers share design and style and engineering means, they function as separate entities. The issue for Kia is potentially considerably worse as its vulnerable models date again as much as the 2011 product calendar year, and as of this writing, they are not providing an anti-theft kit like Hyundai is. Complimentary steering-wheel locks are obtainable, nevertheless.

CG Says:

Although totally free steering-wheel locks and computer software updates are a phase in the ideal way, they feel like the proverbial “band-aids on a bullet wound.” Further more, we problem the optics of expecting customers to pay out upwards of $500 for the immobilizer package. That may well, of class, not matter as Hyundai could close up footing the invoice as a probable settlement for the much more than dozen course-motion lawsuits have been filed, alleging that the lack of a right engine immobilizer was a defect. With up to 10 million affected automobiles, this could most likely stop up costing the automaker $5 billion on top of any other lawyer and settlement service fees. Ought to any owner elect to pay back to have the package installed, save your receipt in the occasion that you may perhaps eventually get reimbursed as a outcome of a potential lawsuit settlement.

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