MN Attorney General: Thieves ‘coming around’ Kia, Hyundai security update; Brooklyn Center car owner has proof

Minnesota’s attorney general says a lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai is still pending, despite the automakers’ efforts to solve a massive theft problem.

Certain models have been targeted for years after it was widely reported on social media that they were easier to steal because they did not have a device known as an engine immobilizer.

“By comparison, 96% of vehicles sold by all other competitors were equipped with this anti-theft technology,” Attorney General Keith Ellison wrote in a press release last spring announcing a civil investigation into the companies.

Around the same time, Kia and Hyundai began rolling out free anti-theft software upgrades to about seven million affected car owners nationwide.

A year and a half later, Ellison and some car owners say it’s more of a band-aid than a solution.

Standing next to her 2017 Hyundai Elantra at Park Auto Body in Spring Lake Park, Angela Holliday said she feels like she has done everything possible to prevent theft, including get the software update as soon as it was available.

Yet her car was stolen again last week, it’s the third time in two years. This time even with the update.

“Shocked, completely shocked,” she responded.

The reason she still has the car, awaiting repairs at the shop, is because she bought a LoJack GPS tracking device and was able to tell police where to find it.

“So the update was a Band-Aid,” she concluded. “I mean, I have a USB cable hanging out of my ignition, so obviously it’s still easy to steal with a USB cable.”

In a statement, Hyundai continued to tout its software update as “highly effective,” citing a nonprofit report released this summer.

A spokesperson added: “Hyundai is not aware of any confirmed cases where the software upgrade did not work as intended to prevent the form of theft popularized on social media.”

In contrast, Ellison said he knows of cases where his office has seen “thieves bypass the software update.”

He did not know how many, but confirmed: “Those cases do indeed exist, and we can provide numbers.”

“There are ups and downs in the numbers, but the numbers are still unacceptably high,” Ellison said.

The latest interview took place more than a year and a half after his office launched its investigation into Hyundai and Kia, and Ellison said he won’t stop until the companies roll out a more effective solution.

“If the company’s argument is that aftermarket immobilizers are too expensive, then my answer is, ‘Well, I need something that’s just as good,’” Ellison said.

One possible alternative that he’s currently negotiating with manufacturers is a “zinc sleeve” device, “a piece of hardware made of this metal that you insert into the ignition system, making it really, really difficult to steal the car in the way how they do that. I stole them,” Ellison said.

He also expressed the wish that manufacturers would compensate car owners for their financial losses.

Aside from the thousands spent on repairs, some insurance companies have stopped writing policies to cover affected models due to the risk of theft.

Monthly premiums for other affected car owners have soared.

Holiday said the thefts caused her insurance premium to increase so much that she had to find a less desirable alternative.

“My insurance was over $500 a month on this car. This isn’t even a $500 a month car,” she said. “They actually priced me out of there right away.”

Hyundai says it has partnered with AAA “to provide customers with another option to purchase insurance.”

Although when asked, the company did not confirm that it had helped slow rising premiums.

“We have some basic principles that we have to adhere to or we’ll end up in a lawsuit,” Ellison said.

“And one of those basic principles is that this customer will be in the same shoes as every other customer driving around on the road, and their car will be no more susceptible to theft than anyone else’s. That’s a reasonable expectation, I think.”

Meanwhile, Holliday sees a target in the ‘H’ decal on her car.

When asked if she was considering cutting her losses and trading in her Hyundai, she said, “I assume no one in their right mind would want to buy this kind of car.”

“…I know some people say they would just do it (out of) frustration, but I don’t know…I mean, why would I have to do that?”

Her car was one of about a dozen stolen cars recently serviced at Park Auto Body, the manager said. They were all Kias or Hyundais, he added.

His best advice was for customers to invest in an “aftermarket alarm system,” which he said would sound an alarm if the vehicle is broken into and act as an immobilizer for the engine.

The cost is about $500 to $600, he estimates.

The attorney general encouraged all affected vehicle owners to call his office at 651-296-3353 or file a complaint online.

“The more information, the more cases, it strengthens our hand and allows us to be even more powerful in demanding the change everyone deserves,” he said.