I have a Kia and got the software upgrade; they put a little red sticker on your windows saying the vehicle is equipped with anti-theft software.

But something tells me most thieves aren’t checking for a sticker before they smash the window…

Can confirm. Happened to a friend within the past month. Theirs wasn't even on the list of affected models.

Watch the channel 5 Kia boys episode. It was really fucking easy to steal kia's n Hyundai's. Took the guy like 30 seconds to do it. You just ripped a piece of plastic off, and jammed a USB cord into the ignition, turned it, and off u went. They encountered one of these updated ones and failed as well.

Warning, the Kia boys are fucking insufferable twats.

https://youtu.be/DJA7jDF7bLE?si=7uoD6USzsuzg0vC2

Keyless start is fucking awesome though, just get in the car and drive. I wouldn't even consider a car without after having one with it. Pretty much all other manufacturers have this in a safe way that doesn't make the cars easier to steal. Its not the keyless start that's the issue, its how they implemented it.

I mean, many new cars don't even have an old school key ignition at all.

They were vulnerable because they didn't use chipped keys therefore people could break the ignition cylinder off and rotate the actual switch behind it to start the car. Cars with immobilizers still wouldn't start even if you removed the lock cylinder because the sensor didn't detect the chip. This is basically how most all cars worked prior to the 90s/00s which is where the trope of "using a screwdriver to steal a car" came from.

I'm really curious how they were able to add this in using software alone since you'd need some sort of sensor to detect the key along with keys that have a chip embedded in them.

us insurance sounds lovely

Insurance companies like to claim they've done all the math and research but they're just lazy asses looking for any reason to raise rates.

I’d guess a result of the dumber criminals not knowing what specific models are vulnerable. This fiasco tainted the entire brand.

Here's my simple solution: be unable to operate a car.

I went from an 07 Escape to a 2023 RAV4. The thing just won’t shut the fuck up. Mike any kinda of parking the detection beeps. Console software is annoying.

Miss my relatively dumb car.

It's funny that even though theft rates have plummeted since the mass software upgrade, premiums have stayed high. They have savant-level mathematicians (actuaries) evaluating risk and even with compelling data showing otherwise, they choose to keep labeling these cars high risk and continue to charge exorbitant premiums.

Same. I was looking at cars and told my insurance, who then said, "If you get a KIA, you never have to worry about losing your car keys, since you can search online on how easy it is to break in."

That throwaway joke threw me into the rabbit hole of the Kia challenge. Definitely a shit show.

A lot of cars in my neighborhood have been using a club to lock the steering wheel. Reminds me of the 80s-90s.

That applies to every manufacturer, and no, there isn't really a fix.

It's also not really happening in any meaningful numbers, at least yet...

If it wasn't eligible for the FIX (this is NOT an upgrade, you are entitled to them fixing this shit if it does effect you)maybe it wasn't the right ignition system? My 2013 Elantra needed it and it seemed to be on the older end of cars who had the vulnerability.