JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than half a million vehicles in Florida are at high risk of being stolen, according to a new report from Carfax.
News4JAX first reported last summer about the viral social media trend encouraging people to steal certain Hyundais and Kias with just a USB cable.
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Carfax estimates nearly 5 million owners still need to get their cars fixed so this doesn’t happen to them. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 for criminals to steal certain Kias and Hyundais.
Porsha Minton knows it all too well.
“My mom woke up and said Porsha your car isn’t outside,” she said. “I was like what?! It’s not outside?! I ran outside. I was just like, I was looking where I parked. I’m like, ‘OK, is this a prank?’ And it wasn’t.”
She told News4JAX two months ago that thieves stole her Hyundai sedan from her Jacksonville home. Police later found it, but it was damaged.
It stems back to a social media trend showing people how to easily hotwire these vehicles and take them for joy rides or use them in crimes. Criminals taking part were dubbed the “Kia Boys.”
“So the affected vehicles run from 2010 all the way up to 2022,” said Patrick Olsen, the editor-in-chief of Carfax. “And they affect a pretty wide swath of Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs, everything from that Kia Soul to the Hyundai Palisade. So it is quite a wide-ranging list of cars. It’s very specific to Hyundai and Kia models that don’t have a push-button start. These are models that use a key to start the car.”
Olsen said his company has teamed up with Hyundai and Kia to spread the news about a fix to the problem. Anyone who owns the affected vehicles can get a software fix for something called an immobilizer, which only allows an actual key with a security code to start the ignition.
“It takes about an hour for a mechanic to fix it,” Olsen added. “So all they can do is call a local dealer. It doesn’t need to be the dealership where they bought it from.”
Carfax estimates more than 4.9 million Americans need this fix.
Florida has the second-highest number of vulnerable vehicles with 502,000. Georgia ranks seventh with 192,000.
The Korean automakers recently agreed to a $200 million settlement that would pay out for making theft-prone cars. The class action suit entitles owners up to $6,125 if their vehicle was stolen or damaged.
If you’re wondering if your vehicle is affected, it’ll be a Kia or Hyundai made between 2011 and 2022 with a steal turn key ignition. You can reach out to any dealership, or you can enter the VIN number at CARFAX.com for a free check.