Hyundai, grappling with a surge in vehicle thefts, joined forces with the Houston Police Department to provide anti-theft technology to nearly 1,700 vehicle owners over a single weekend. According to Houston Chronicle, Hyundai's move is part of a wider effort to address the city's alarming 15% jump in auto thefts from 2022 to 2023. The automaker conducted a free anti-theft clinic event at Greenspoint Mall, where Hyundai technicians were present to provide software upgrades and steering wheel locks.
Houston Police Department reported approximately 54 stolen vehicles per day in 2023, contributing to the national trend where certain Hyundai and Kia models were particularly susceptible due to their ignition design.“Hyundai has responded with wide-ranging initiatives to enhance the security of vehicles without engine immobilizers still on the road.”, Ira Gabriel, a spokesperson for Hyundai, explained in a statement obtained by the Houston Chronicle. Owners of Hyundai vehicles built between 2011 and 2021 were eligible for the software upgrades, while all Hyundai vehicles benefited from the addition of steering wheel locks.
The Houston Police, aiming to reduce the city's spiked car theft rates, collaborated on the event. Dave VandeLine, Hyundai America Vice President, cited a 61% increase in theft of their vehicles since summer 2021, which was partly fueled by a social media trend exposing vulnerabilities in security. VandeLine said in a Houston Public Media interview, "So Hyundai set out to work on an alarm solution, kind of a basic alarm solution, a steering wheel lock distribution program, and engineering software solutions,”.
While these efforts have shown a decline in auto thefts in the early months of 2024, the overall vehicle thefts in Texas have remained relatively unchanged. Working through the weekend to install the security measures, Sgt. Tracy Hicks with the auto crimes task force said he was proud and believed such measures would make it harder for vehicles to be stolen in Houston, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. Despite the challenges, more than 1.2 million affected vehicles nationwide have received Hyundai's anti-theft technology to date.
The Houston Police Department urged residents to be vigilant in preventing car thefts, recommending the use of modern car alarms and tracking devices, and to avoid leaving cars running unoccupied. Dana Hitzman, Commander of the Auto Theft Division, pointed out in a Houston Public Media interview that the high car theft rates have been a national concern and Houston has seen similar increases. Hyundai's antitheft initiative is a step towards curbing this alarming trend. The free clinic event was scheduled for the weekend, the third of such events in Texas, following successful runs in Austin and El Paso.
