Attorneys General from 23 states including Wisconsin issue letter to Kia, Hyundai over rampant car t

[riversedge]

Source: msn.com


Attorneys General from 23 states including Wisconsin issue letter to Kia, Hyundai over rampant car thefts



Story by Jackson Danbeck • 55m ago



MILWAUKEE, Wis. (TMJ4) - Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul says he will be leading a coalition of 23 attorneys general across the country to urge the leaders of Kia and Hyundai to do more to stop rampant thefts of some vulnerable models.

Kaul’s office notes that the makers of Kia and Hyundai decided to not include anti-theft immobilizers as standard equipment on several models sold in the U.S. Officials say the companies made this decision at a time when other major manufacturers were including anti-theft immobilizers on all models and as Kia and Hyundai themselves were using the immobilizers on different models of vehicles.

The AGs called a recent effort from Kia and Hyundai a “customer service campaign” and said it is long overdue and not enough. The AGs instead urge the companies to do everything in their power to improve the situation for owners of these vulnerable vehicles, including accelerating the implementation of a software update (to improve security) and providing free alternative protective measures.

“Your companies’ decisions not to install anti-theft immobilizers as standard equipment on certain vehicles sold in the United States has caused ongoing consumer harm and undermined public safety in communities across the country. It is well past time that you acknowledge your companies’ role and take swift and comprehensive action to remedy it,” according to the letter.....................




Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/attorneys-general-from-23-states-including-wisconsin-issue-letter-to-kia-hyundai-over-rampant-car-thefts/ar-AA18RBvj?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=5d46f926ec91455783897f54efe0a402&ei=41

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It does not say why the companies did not install the anti-theft materials in certain models.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[LakeArenal]

1. Didn't these companies get busted for child labor violations?

[BumRushDaShow]

2. "It does not say why the companies did not install the anti-theft materials in certain models."

I heard a radio report a couple weeks ago that mentioned that the company opted not to install the extra electronics for the anti-theft feature because of the "extra cost", and by dropping that option, they could make the price point more attractive to younger buyers as a "budget car".

I remember having a couple of those Clubs almost 30 years ago for one of my cars and I never thought those would make a comeback.

[SheltieLover]

3. My State Farm agent told me the company won't even insure most of these

I'd never buy one. We were just chatting.

Btw, people here do use Clubs because, well hellhole Memphis.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. I wouldn't be surpised

although I expect they might have targeted those for young people who would be adding them to their parents' insurance to go with the other cars the family has "at a discount". My current car is keyless entry/start (took me a long time to get used to that) and won't start without the fob nearby and my insurer gives me a "discount" ( ) for "anti-theft" and "passive restraint" or whatever.

I know back with my earlier cars and commuting to work/parking in open lots all day downtown, I was a dedicated user of clubs!

[Prairie_Seagull]

4. Makes one kind of wonder is this had something to do with the chip shortage and a rush to market.

[SouthernDem4ever]

19. These cars were made 5-6 years ago

Was there a chip shortage then?

[James48]

5. $$$$$. It's only about the money.

And the extra $25 or $50 or whatever the anti-theft immobilized circuit would cost.

[ancianita]

6. This has to be the insurance lobby targeting one company. WI is 12th from the bottom in auto thefts.

Some of the other states are near the bottom in thefts, too.





And Hyundai/Kia isn't even among the top brands stolen.





This is a weird priority for state AG's.

[sybylla]

10. I'm from WI and I don't think protecting consumers is a bad idea.

It's absolutely within the scope of the AG's office.

Also, your data is 10 years old so a bit moot.

[ancianita]

11. I hear you. Maybe it's not. But national data show that 4 out of every 5 stolen cars are retrieved.

I've had two cars stolen in Chicago, and what I learned is that police departments are tops at finding stolen cars -- it's their thing. What they're good at. How did I learn? They showed me police stats from across states.
I was shocked and impressed to learn this.

So of the 20% consumer victims of auto theft of Hondas, pickup trucks, and the rest on the 'top stolen' list can get insurance reimbursement, which go up every year, according to data I've seen, and IF they carry comprehensive insurance, not just basic liability required by states.

I'm not against consumer protection, but there seems to be something weird about these AG's, especially those from states with low theft numbers.

The stats they cite seem misleading, too. If 10 cars are stolen, and the next year, 100 are stolen, that's a 1000% increase. Sounds high, but then only 20 actually are not returned. Which is only 100% increase. And is reimbursable by insurance companies.

One of my stolen cars was damaged, and insurance covered the whole repair.

If these companies give buyers the choice, I'm for that. As for myself, I wouldn't need an autolock on the car, when I could buy a tracker on the market for much less. I have a Hyundai Tucson.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

30. My neighbor had her car stolen in chicago

The car sat in the impound lot for a month (maybe two months) with the windows down before the city mailed a letter to inform my neighbor the city had the car.


The top selling cars are always at the top of the theft list because the demand for (see:chop shop) body parts is the highest.

Honda has historically been at the top of the steal list. It wouldn’t surprise me if Kia/Hyundai are now at the top considering how popular those cars are.

[ancianita]

32. Hmmm

My experiences could be the exception, dunno. Mine were in impound lots, too. I had no idea Hyundai/Kia were so popular, but then I haven't paid much attention to the car market since I got mine in 2018.

[NullTuples]

12. "he will be leading a coalition of 23 attorneys general across the country..."

[mpcamb]

18. He's a Dem and most of the 23 states have Dem AG's.

Good to remind people who's looking out for you...

[newdayneeded]

24. He's a good one too!

Glad he one the election.

[NullTuples]

31. I was refuting the likelihood of it being 'insurance lobbyists targeting one company"

[Otterdaemmerung]

15. Um... the car theft stats

are from a decade ago. Vehicle technology has changed massively since then, and probably so has the roster of most-stolen vehicles.

[ancianita]

17. True re police stats. Maybe.

The theft and brand charts are only a little over a year old. So I'm totally wrong?

[stopdiggin]

23. chart I see says 2013

don't know if you're totally wrong, but that is fairly old

[ancianita]

25. oof... when I type in 2022 or 2023, google images doesn't

seem to want to give me recent data; frustrating; I failed to read that. Thanks. I'll keep looking.

I'm not trying to be right, just thinking out loud, fwiw, which I see is turning out not to be useful.

[ancianita]

26. Okay. Here's more recent info from 2021. Just follow the hyperlinks.

https://www.deepsentinel.com/blogs/car-theft-statistics-2022/

Rank Vehicle Make/Model, 2021 Total TheftsModel, Year Most Often Stolen
1. Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full Size)48,206 2004
2. Ford Pick-Up (Full Size) 47,999 2006
3. Honda Civic 31,673 2000
4. Honda Accord 30,274 1997
5. Toyota Camry 17,270 2007
6. GMC Pick-Up (Full Size) 15,599 2005
7. Nissan Altima 14,108 2020
8. Honda CR-V 13,308 2000
9. Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee 13,210 2018
10. Toyota Corolla 12,927 2020

[SouthernDem4ever]

20. It's not a matter of brand

It's a matter of certain models of the Hyundai Kai models. Your graph doesn't address that.

[NNadir]

7. They are getting stolen daily from the parking lot at the University where my wife works.

She said the ease of theft seems to be related to the use of an ordinary thumb drive in a port intended for the service teams. Someone apparently has downloaded the key override code.

[NullTuples]

13. That seems to be partially correct?

"How Thieves Are Stealing Hyundais and Kias With Just a USB Cable"
https://www.thedrive.com/news/how-thieves-are-stealing-hyundais-and-kias-with-just-a-usb-cable


Apparently those models don't have a chip-key, just a plain metal one. So the ignition switch is likewise simple. In the old days thieves would use a screwdriver to turn the switch once the lock mechanism was pulled off of it. Now they use the fitting on the end of a USB cable because it roughly fits the prong of the turn switch to act like a handle.

And...now this is odd: Kia announced they were pushing out a software patch back in February to fix the problem?
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hyundai-kia-patch-bug-allowing-car-thefts-with-a-usb-cable/

[paleotn]

9. Why exactly is that Kia and Hyundia's problem?

It's not like the cars are unsafe or something. Plus, Honda is the most stolen brand on the market. Maybe because there's so many of them out there, but still, why isn't Honda on their hit list? Seems silly to me.

[SouthernDem4ever]

22. The left a gaping hole that can be easily exploited

Since everyone knows it, they need to correct it.

[DENVERPOPS]

14. I heard Grand Theft Auto

doesn't exist in Colorado anymore. The state legislature reportedly declared Auto Theft, a misdemeanor regardless of worth of the car.

Denver, as a city, and also Colorado, as a state are now called the "THE CAR THEFT CAPITOL" of the world...........

There have been articles in the newspaper about they bust some guy, he goes to court, gets released, and he is back at it stealing cars that very same day. The logged one car thief that had been arrested seven times and still hadn't spent a day in Jail or paid a fine....

[live love laugh]

16. Restitution--make them pay for all tax dollars used

as a result of their negligence.

[SouthernDem4ever]

21. I have one of those vehicles

I would be happy if they would just correct the problem. They want me to pay $1000 for a security system.

[ancianita]

27. Finally, I'm getting the point. (duh, I hope) It's not all but mostly about organized theft rings.

This is about getting help from manufacturers for a growing theft problem.

Of the nearly 1 million total vehicles reported stolen in 2021, 14% of passenger vehicles were Chevrolet, Ford, and GMC full size pick-up models.

"Crime is a business, and business is good."

“Used car values are at historical highs,” said David Glawe, President and CEO of NICB. "We have seen a nearly 35% increase in used car values over the last two years due to supply chain issues and inflation. Stolen cars can be shipped overseas and resold or broken down for valuable used car parts here in the U.S.”

Passenger vehicle thefts increased 8% in 2021 compared to 2020.

Top ten vehicles stolen by state
https://www.nicb.org/sites/files/2022-07/Hot%20Wheels_Top%2010%20By%20State.pdf

https://www.nicb.org/sites/files/2022-07/Hot%20Wheels_Top%2010%20By%20State.pdf

[ripcord]

28. The DA in San Diego County has already filed a lawsuit against Kia and Hyundai

This calls for more than a letter.