Software Update Cuts Hyundai & Kia Theft Rates

Great news for Hyundai and Kia owners worried about their cars getting stolen.  The software upgrade Hyundai and Kia offered to owners of vehicles sold without electronic mobilizers is cutting theft rates, according to new research from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDA). Researchers say the software has cut theft rate by more than half since the companies started implementing the upgrade in February of 2023.

This all stems from the viral theft trend that targeted Hyundai and Kia vehicles without electronic immobilizers during the pandemic.  It prompted a tidal wave of theft claims, leading to the software upgrade.  With the new software installed, vehicles will only start if the owner’s key or an identical duplicate is in the ignition. Vehicles with the software also receive a window sticker designed to deter potential thieves. Hyundai held mobile clinics in various areas of the country in 2023 to assist owners with the upgrade.

Roughly two dozen 2011-22 Hyundai and Kia models are eligible for the upgrade. The HLDI says its research found that those vehicles that received it as of December 2023 — a total of 30% of the eligible Hyundais and 28% of the eligible Kias in HLDI’s database — had theft claim frequencies that were 53% lower than vehicles that didn’t get the upgrade.

Keep in mind that not all theft claims involved theft of the entire vehicle. They also include claims for damage to vehicles that were stolen and recovered, theft of vehicle parts and items stolen from inside the vehicle. The frequency of whole vehicle theft, which HLDI calculates by matching the cost of the claim to the amount insurers pay for the same model if it’s totaled in a crash, fell by a larger 64% for vehicles with the upgrade.

“The companies’ solution is extremely effective,” said Matt Moore, senior vice president of HLDI. “If you own a Hyundai or Kia vehicle without an electronic immobilizer, you should call your local dealer about getting the software upgrade today.”

So why are certain Hyundai and Kia models a target for theft to begin with? Because electronic immobilizers were only standard equipment on 17% of 2011 Hyundai and Kia models, compared with 92% of 2011 models from all other brands. While that percentage climbed rapidly after model year 2015,  HLDI says even in model year 2022 immobilizers were standard on only 84% of Hyundai and Kia models, compared with 96% of models from other brands. (By 2023, electronic immobilizers were standard on all the companies’ models.)

While the HLDI study period ended in December 2023, it says Hyundai and Kia have continued to upgrade vehicles. According to the two automakers, as of mid-July approximately 60% of eligible vehicles had been upgraded. Some trims without immobilizers are ineligible for the software upgrade because they lack alarm systems.

It's not all good news however. HDLI says theft claim frequency for Hyundai and Kia vehicles remains elevated, even for models with the new software. It suggests one reason may be that the software-based immobilizer only activates if the driver remembers to lock the vehicle with a fob, while many people are in the habit of using the switch on the door handle.

In addition, HLDI says thieves who are thwarted by the software upgrade may be stealing other items from inside the vehicle.

• To read more HLDI theft claim frequency data click here.  
• To visit the Hyundai Ant-Theft Software Upgrade website click here.  For Kia click here.
• You can also read more on this topic in our post from September 2022.