The vehicles in question, 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia models with turn-key ignitions — as opposed to push-button start — are roughly twice as likely to be stolen as other vehicles of a similar age. The reason: Many of these vehicles lack some of the basic auto theft prevention technology included in most other vehicles, even in those years, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute.
The two South Korean automakers have come up with a software patch to fix the problem, the automakers and NHTSA said Tuesday. Hyundai and Kia operate as separate companies in the United States, but Hyundai Motor Group owns a large stake in Kia, and various Hyundai and Kia models share much of their engineering. The patch will be installed free of charge on vulnerable models, with software that requires an actual key in the ignition to turn the vehicle on.
A few months late
Who would want to steal a Hyundai or a Kia!!!