Photo: Kia
Americans love cars, but sometimes the way some of them choose to get their hands on one is not always legal. As per the National Insurance Crime Bureau, in the first half of 2023 alone more than half a million vehicles were stolen across the country (the numbers for the full year are not in yet, but it's obvious they'll be impressive).
Generally speaking, car thieves are not picky when it comes to the vehicles they target, but because some of them are easier to steal than others, especially using modern-day technologies, some car brands and models do tend to stand out.
At the end of 2023, the top three most stolen vehicles in the U.S. were, from top to bottom, Chevrolet, GMC, and Ford pickup trucks. But every single other model in the top ten of most stolen cars is made by either Japanese or South Korean company: Kia (Optima), Honda (CR-V, Civic, Accord), Hyundai (Sonata, Elantra), and Toyota (Camry).
It's unclear why American car thieves like Asian cars this much, but at least in part it probably has to do with them being easier to steal using modern methods but also, as per Kia itself, "using methods of theft popularized on social media."
Asian companies are doing their best to try and bring the number of such incidents down, and the best way to do that is to constantly release security software updates. But what do you do when your car does not support software upgrades?
The only way to prevent car theft is to go for more physical means of deterrence. These, by the way, are the best such solutions around, no matter the vehicle, because they make the car impossible to drive, no matter how tech-savvy the thief is.
For such cars (but also for the others it sells), the South Korean carmaker already offers steering wheel locks for free, but it upped the ante for the new year with the introduction of an ignition cylinder protector device.
The hardware modification is meant to reinforce the ignition cylinder body and prevent thieves from removing it. Such an approach has recently been heavily promoted on social media and led to a spike in the theft of Kia models.
The physical upgrade is meant for the cars "that are not eligible for the security software upgrade that Kia introduced earlier this year" (you can see the full list below the text) and it is available for free.
Installing the protection requires a trip to your local dealer, whose people will handle the work. They will also install window decals advertising the fact the Kia is equipped with enhanced theft protection as an extra layer of deterrence.
As said, Kia is already offering a software upgrade against this social media-driven wave of criminal acts. The South Korean carmaker said that 940,000 vehicles had already gotten the upgrade last year. A second wave is planned for 2024.
If you are eligible to get the ignition protector upgrade, expect a notification from the carmaker. The car models that can receive it are listed below. You can learn more about the program and learn of your vehicle is eligible here.
At the end of 2023, the top three most stolen vehicles in the U.S. were, from top to bottom, Chevrolet, GMC, and Ford pickup trucks. But every single other model in the top ten of most stolen cars is made by either Japanese or South Korean company: Kia (Optima), Honda (CR-V, Civic, Accord), Hyundai (Sonata, Elantra), and Toyota (Camry).
It's unclear why American car thieves like Asian cars this much, but at least in part it probably has to do with them being easier to steal using modern methods but also, as per Kia itself, "using methods of theft popularized on social media."
Asian companies are doing their best to try and bring the number of such incidents down, and the best way to do that is to constantly release security software updates. But what do you do when your car does not support software upgrades?
The only way to prevent car theft is to go for more physical means of deterrence. These, by the way, are the best such solutions around, no matter the vehicle, because they make the car impossible to drive, no matter how tech-savvy the thief is.
For such cars (but also for the others it sells), the South Korean carmaker already offers steering wheel locks for free, but it upped the ante for the new year with the introduction of an ignition cylinder protector device.
The hardware modification is meant to reinforce the ignition cylinder body and prevent thieves from removing it. Such an approach has recently been heavily promoted on social media and led to a spike in the theft of Kia models.
The physical upgrade is meant for the cars "that are not eligible for the security software upgrade that Kia introduced earlier this year" (you can see the full list below the text) and it is available for free.
Installing the protection requires a trip to your local dealer, whose people will handle the work. They will also install window decals advertising the fact the Kia is equipped with enhanced theft protection as an extra layer of deterrence.
As said, Kia is already offering a software upgrade against this social media-driven wave of criminal acts. The South Korean carmaker said that 940,000 vehicles had already gotten the upgrade last year. A second wave is planned for 2024.
If you are eligible to get the ignition protector upgrade, expect a notification from the carmaker. The car models that can receive it are listed below. You can learn more about the program and learn of your vehicle is eligible here.
- 2011 - 2016 Kia Sportage
- 2011 - 2016 Kia Forte
- 2010 - 2022 Kia Soul
- 2011 - 2021 Kia Rio
- 2014 Kia Sedona
Google News