‘Don’t make it easy for them’: Chesterfield Police urges drivers to up the protection on their cars

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Chesterfield Police Department is urging some Kia and Hyundai owners to take steps that could help drastically lower the chances of their cars being stolen.

Sergeant Chad Shockley with Chesterfield Police says that Hyundais and Kias make up about a third of the cars stolen in the county — but a special software upgrade available for some models can make a difference.

“Unfortunately, there’s a flaw … where [thieves] can pop the steering column and gain access to that area of the vehicle and very easily start the car,” said Sgt. Chad Shockley with Chesterfield Police Department.

Shockley said that Hyundai and Kia vehicles with keyed ignitions — rather than pushbutton starts — are the main targets of this specific crime. The trend of stealing these specific cars has been a problem for the past few years.

“It was mostly spread around through social media and TikTok and things like that,” Shockley said. “Then, obviously, some of these young adults that want to commit this type of crime decided to try it out. And, obviously, it worked.”

The software upgrade works by stopping vehicles from starting without the owner’s key or an identical copy. As of August, it’s already cut these thefts by more than half, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute .

Around two dozen 2011-2022 Hyundai and Kia models are eligible for that update.

“Obviously, get the software update on the Hyundai or the Kia,” Shockley said. “Also, lock your cars. Don’t leave your keys in the car, don’t leave valuables in the car. Don’t make yourself more appetizing for a criminal to try to steal your car.”

Shockley said that this software upgrade is crucial because the people who steal these cars know what they are doing.

“I think it’s more of a crime opportunity,” Shockley said. “Sometimes, people have the software update and then, [if an attempted theft occurs], the vehicle’s damaged, but at least their car is not stolen.”

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau , the Hyundai Elantra, the Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Optima were the three most stolen vehicles in the United States in 2023.

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