Hyundai and Kia thefts on the decline after anti-theft software upgrade

Thefts of Hyundai and Kia models are finally on the decline, according to research from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). This news comes after Hyundai and Kia models topped most-stolen car lists and made headlines over and over for being notoriously easy to steal.

Hyundai and Kia started offering a software upgrade in February 2023 that would keep the car from starting if the owner’s key or an identical duplicate wasn’t used in the ignition. For the vehicles that received said upgrade as of December 2023, theft claim frequencies are 53% lower than the vehicles that didn’t get the upgrade, according to HLDI data. Keep in mind that only about 30% of Hyundais and 28% of Kias that were eligible for the upgrade at that point in time had the fix. Today, that number is a lot better, as the companies claim 60% of all eligible cars had the upgrade as of mid-July 2024.

The “53%” figure also takes into account much more than just complete vehicle thefts, too. The HLDI says it includes “claims for damage to vehicles that were stolen and recovered, theft of vehicle parts and items stolen from inside the vehicle.” It approximates the frequency of “whole vehicle theft” to be down by 64%, an even more substantial figure.

One reason provided by the HLDI for why the numbers aren’t even better suggests that user practices could be leaving them open for theft even with the upgrade. In order for the software immobilizer fix to work, owners need to lock the vehicle with the fob and not use the keyless entry/exit on the door handle.

One of the theft deterrent strategies Hyundai and Kia are using is a sticker on the window to call out if a car is equipped with the new anti-theft software upgrade. Interestingly, vandalism claims were more common for the Hyundais and Kias equipped with the new anti-theft software than those without. The HLDI attributes this to failed theft attempts, which typically leave you with broken windows, damage to the steering column and more.

“Based on these trends, we expect claim rates for Hyundai and Kia vehicles to gradually drop back in line with those of other brands, as thieves learn they’re no longer so easy to steal and the fad gets stale,” said Matt Moore, senior vice president of HLDI.

And if you haven’t had the software upgrade applied to your Hyundai or Kia affected by this problem, we’d highly suggest you go do so.