NEWS
4
April 2023
Hyundai and Kia brand cars have been stolen at increasing rates around the St. Louis area due to a weakness in their software and security systems. Due to this, the unit growth rate for Hyundais and Kias decreased by 15.78% from 2022 to 2023. Photograph by Akhila Swarna
St. Louis sues Kia, Hyundai amid rise in car thefts Rise in St. Louis Car Thefts
david MOSS
from 2022 to 2023
Hyundai total car thefts Kia total car thefts other car thefts
Safety Tips 1) Lock your doors and remove your keys from the vehicle.
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2) Remove USB cables when not in use. Aug. 2022
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Late last February, Matt Shockley, father of Layla Shockley, sophomore, parked his Hyundai Sonata overnight 200 at a hotel in Independence, Missouri. When he went to his car the next morning, there was someone in it. “I banged on the driver’s side window, and he looked up at me and 150 immediately took off,” Matt said. Eight days later, the vehicle was found stripped of parts, ravaged by fire and utterly destroyed. “Some cars are notoriously known 100 for being able to steal,” Layla said. Since July of last year, incidents such as this one have become increasingly common after a viral TikTok video published that highlights a weakness 50 in the software and security system of most Kia and Hyundai cars. Almost 7,500 vehicles have been stolen in the St. Louis area in 2022, near double the previous year, accord0 ing to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Late last month, the City of St. Louis joined five other cities in suing Kia and Hyundai for failing to install anti-theft technology in many models of their vehicles. Panus said. “I think there’s also a lack In a recent press conference, Mayor of supervision. These kids are 13, 14, Tishaura Jones said, “Their failure to 15 years old out at 3 a.m., and no one equip Kias and Hyundais with immoknows where they are.” bilizer technology has resulted in an Panus is looking forward to the increased expenditure of city resourcsoftware updates Kia and Hyundai are es, forcing St. Louis to devote signifbeginning to make available. Steering icant manpower wheel locks have to documenting, distributed to A total of 51 students been investigating and police departments have either a recovering stolen by the two compaKia or Hyundai Hyundai or Kia out of nies, and Panus recvehicles.” ommends those with approximately 540 Tracy Panus, affected vehicles get county public registered students one if that option is information officer, available to them. with parking spots. said this rapid rise “You really have in car thefts began to be careful,” Panus Information from the in April of last year. said. Sophomore Office “At the beginDella Thompson, ning of 2022, there French teacher, has was a very small percentage of Kias and a Kia Soul, along with her daughter. Hyundais that were stolen,” Panus said. In late February, her daughter’s car “Once the knowledge spread on how to was broken into, and the perpetrator steal these specific vehicles, we saw a attempted to hotwire the vehicle. big uptick.” “They ended up damaging it so In St. Louis County, only 10 Kias badly it can’t be driven,” Thompson and Hyundais were stolen in April of said. “And because so many of the cars 2022. By that September, almost 300 have been broken into, there’s an eight Kias and Hyundais had been stolen. to nine week delay on parts.” Panus said at least half of auto thefts Thompson said she and her family are committed by those who are 12-17 have always loved Kia but are now frusyears old. trated by the company’s poor decision “Part of it is they’re being recruited and slow reaction. by adults who know that juveniles are “We feel like they could do better not going to face much punishment,” at helping us out,” Thompson said.
“Hopefully the recall will come out for my model soon, and I’ll be able to get it into the shop and have them put the new upgrade on it.” James Nacy, orchestra teacher, had a Kia Optima that was broken into three separate times. “The last two times it happened was 10 days apart,” Nacy said. “I was just fed up and bought a new car.” Rather than feeling frustrated with Kia, Nacy said he is more upset that so many people are stealing vehicles in the first place. “At this point, almost anything can be broken, hacked or whatever if somebody tries hard enough,” Nacy said. “To figure out how to do it and spread viral videos of how to do it, giving step by step instructions, that makes me disgusted with people more so than with Kia.”
3) Don’t leave valuables in your car. 4) Park in well-lit areas when possible. 5) Buy a wheel lock or anti-theft device. Information from the D.C. Police Department and Allstate This yellow device, called a club, prevents car theft by blocking the steering wheel from turning. Tracy Panus, county public information officer, said at least half of car thefts are committed by teenagers. “The main thing is to keep your car locked, your valuables out of sight, and your keys on you, not in the car,” Panus said. Photograph by Annabelle Miller