Insurance companies are well aware of the risk of stolen vehicles, so much so that Hyundai and Kia owners may be surprised to find that their cars are no longer eligible for coverage. Unfortunately, due to the recent Tik Tok trend that shows people how to steal Kia/Hyundai cars with just a phone charging cable, insurance companies have no choice but to refuse coverage in many cases. This news will be unwelcome to many drivers who need coverage.
Many drivers caught in the situation of owning a Kia or Hyundai model that is affected by this increased risk of theft might wonder how they can keep their cars safe and insured without breaking the bank during this time of increased crime. There are options out there and steps they can take.
What is happening to Kia and Hyundai cars?
Over the past few years, Tik Tok has become a way people have found new skills, dance moves, and viral trends. Unfortunately with such a wide base of contributors, every now and then crime trends seep in as well and spread like wildfire to any person seeking a new way to misuse information. This has led to the newest trend: The Kia Boyz.
This newest trend has ramped up speed this past year and led to the theft of thousands of cars nationwide. The original video showed viewers how they could easily steal certain Kia and Hyundai cars with a phone charging cord. A readily available accessory that isn’t hard to get their hands on and is usually already in their possession. This realization set fire to a whole wave of thieves looking for an easy score or their fifteen minutes of fame, as many posted their thefts on the platform.
The aspect of the car that allowed this theft trend to take flight was unfortunately easily avoidable. Certain Kia and Hyundai models that had a key ignition instead of a push-button start did not have immobilizers installed from the years 2011 to 2021 Kias and 2015-2021 Hyundais. A simple safeguard mechanism that would have made this whole trend not exist. But, instead, it has thrust countless car owners into the sights of thieves. The problem is so prevalent that Kia and Hyundai have encountered a lawsuit from the aftermath on the premise that they defrauded car buyers by selling them a non-protected vehicle.
Even with the rise in theft of their products, Kia and Hyundai have not come out with a clear and concise solution to fixing the problem. They have released notices to consumers to get steering wheel locks from local police stations and implement other safeguarding measures to make the cars harder to drive off with, but not a fix to their cars to make the problem no longer exist.
What is happening with car insurance policies?
Insurance companies are one of the more recent contenders thrown into trying to navigate the turbulent waters. In their view, Kia and Hyundai cars are way too volatile to insure. Covering a car owner of these models puts such a high risk of theft on the policy that it is essentially unreasonable to offer coverage because the likelihood that the car is stolen is astronomical in the current climate.
To demonstrate the severity of the issue, in one instance a woman’s Kia Sportage was stolen twice in 24 hours. First, it was stolen from a mall parking lot and then recovered at a crime scene. It was then taken to a repair shop to be fixed when it was stolen again by different teens and completely totaled.
Insurance companies have a responsibility not only to their bottom line but as well to their other policy holders of other car makes and models. If these companies took on these Kia and Hyundai owners, the sure liability would require them to raise everyones premiums just to offset the losses incurred when these cars are stolen. This has left companies like Progresive with the decision to turn Kia and Hyundai owners away unless there are preventative steps like anti-theft devices in place to make the car a lower liability.
How can you protect your car?
There are many devices available on the market these days that allow car owners to take that extra step to make their car protected as best they can from thieves and as well get a hefty benefit on their insurance coverage. From the already mentioned steering wheel locks to high tech GPS vehicle tracking devices, car owners have never had more protection options than they have today.
Steering Wheel Locks
Steering wheel locks are a great way to keep your car hard to budge to a would be thief. They lock up the wheel and make it a huge hurdle to criminals looking for a car that is easy to hot wire and drive away with. They also act as a good deterrent at the initial start of the theft as any thief that looks into the window will easily see the lock in place and know that the car is just not worth their time.
Audible Alarms
Adding a sensitive audible alarm to your car is also a good plan of action for scaring off any thief that has taken that extra step to actually enter or damage the car. When the alarm goes off their presence is know to everyone around. Any criminal trying to get away with any easy steal just got their plans thrown out the door and are likely to run before they are found.
Glass Break Sensors
Glass break sensors can be useful to many car owners as well. The device listens for the high pitch frequencies associated with breaking glass and uses this as a set off mechanism for alerting the owner to the crime in progress. They can shut off the car, set off an alarm, or send an alert to the owners phone as preventative measures.
GPS Recovery Systems
Anti-theft car GPS devices are very beneficial devices for car owners that not only want their car protected but also recoverable. Just because you have measures in place doesn’t mean your car is theft proof. But other protections don’t enable authorities to locate and recover your vehicle like a GPS system does. GPS devices are hidden within the vehicle so that just when the thief thinks they’ve gotten away with your car, they are foiled, apprehended, and before they know it the car is on it’s way back to its proper owner. The devices is able to keep a precise location on a map of exactly where the car is, how fast it’s going, and more. All very useful information in the authorities pursuit and recovery of your car.
Aside from devices there are other measures one can do to help keep their car safe. Parking in well lit areas or inside secured garages are always a great first step in preventing would be thieves. Not leaving valuables in plain view within the car is always a great deterrent to lower the incentive of the crime. Lastly, always lock your doors, roll up your windows, and never leave a spare key anywhere on the vehicle.
How Elo GPS can better protect your car and help keep you insured.
Elo GPS is a great option if you are trying to keep your car protected from being stolen. The device is installed in the car to give the user a connected car experience that gives the owner a full view of their car’s location, functioning, speed, and more. If your car is ever stolen, it gives you that extra line of defense that carries you into the next step of security of making your car easy to find and recover.
The team at Elo GPS is based in the U.S. and available at all hours of the day, every day and week, regardless of holiday. 24/7/365 they are on standby to help you use the device to track down your car and assist authorities in the recovery of your vehicle. Put your car’s safety in our hands and we will keep you protected.
To learn more about car theft prevention and recovery with Elo GPS, connect with our team to find a dealership offering Elo GPS near you.