The streets of Austin, Texas have seen a surge in car theft, specifically targeting Hyundai and Kia models, leading local authorities to request federal intervention. According to KVUE, Hyundai and Kia vehicles without push-button ignitions and engine immobilizers have been increasingly favored by thieves.
Austin City Council has called for the federal government's attention, pressing for a recall of these vulnerable models. Instances of theft spiked nearly 700% last year, with the Austin Police Department reporting 2,370 thefts of these makes, compared to 349 in 2022. These figures were disclosed by KVUE, and represent a 700% spike in a single year. Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes, who is spearheading the resolution in Austin, emphasized the issue's severity. "This issue is a matter of public safety and when we think about what makes a community safe is, part of it is arming our community with knowledge, and knowledge about the vulnerabilities of the car that they have," she told KVUE.
Amid this vehicular vulnerability crisis, automakers Hyundai and Kia have responded with preventative measures. Hyundai is actively installing anti-theft software to combat the spike in larcenies, through a series of service centers around the nation. Meanwhile, Kia has developed a software upgrade designed to prevent the vehicle's ignition from working when a non-key entity attempts entry while the car is locked, as detailed on a website for affected customers and reported by KVUE.
The call for action reaches beyond Austin, as other major cities like New York and Baltimore have passed similar resolutions. According to KXAN, Fuentes is hopeful that the collective voices of multiple cities will push the federal government to mandate an immediate recalibration of these flawed vehicular technologies. "Our hope is because we have multiple cities across multiple jurisdictions that our federal government will take notice and [the NHSTA] will see the importance of taking action to demand that Kia and Hyundai immediately recall their technology," said Fuentes.
Amidst the controversy, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has yet to issue a formal recall but has stated its ongoing efforts with Hyundai and Kia to address theft risks. "This particular matter involves intentional criminal conduct under the purview of law enforcement authorities. However, since 2022, NHTSA has repeatedly met with Hyundai and Kia to discuss the causes contributing to the theft vulnerability, review the scope of differing software and hardware in the affected models, and receive regular updates on the companies’ action plans," the NHTSA remarked in a statement obtained by KXAN. The agency asserts its commitment to monitoring the issue, informing local authorities, and contributing expertise to improve motor vehicle safety.
