Insurance Companies Are Refusing to Cover Certain Hyundai and Kia Models
You’ve probably heard about the TikTok-inspired uptick in Hyundai and Kia thefts, where the lack of an immobilizer has given thieves an open invitation. Beyond the stress that your car could be stolen at any time, insurance companies now appear to be less willing to cover the vehicles.
The Drive spoke with Progressive Insurance, which said it had stopped issuing new policies to some Hyundai and Kia vehicles. A spokesperson told the publication that “due to the theft risk that some Hyundai and Kia vehicles present, in many cases, it makes these vehicles difficult to insure, so in certain areas of the country, we have adjusted our acceptance criteria for new business.”
The changes do not affect existing policyholders, but it certainly puts a damper on anyone hoping to grab a used car and get it insured. The Drive’s staff reached out to several other insurers in different areas of the country, discovering that several were unwilling to issue new policies. Progressive denied policies for a Kia Soul in Denver, and news outlets in other cities have reported similar outcomes.
Those that don’t deny insurance coverage outright charge much more for the privilege. One driver told his local newspaper in St. Louis that Progressive would cover his car but would charge $350 monthly.
[Image: Hyundai]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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Looks like investing in that $99 gadget would be worthwhile
Problem solved. Got a letter from Kia saying a free software update for my Sportage can be done on the next service, March 6th it is!
I find this whole affair to be ludicrous. Cars WITH 'immobilizers' are still just as easily stolen.
But a tiktok video comes out and suddenly Kia is the bad guy.
Maybe if they punished car thieves, this wouldn't be such an issue?
Kia performed a software fix on my 2020 Soul so that the car won't start without a key. Of course thieves won't know that until after the window is broken and the car broken into. They give you window stickers to that effect that you need a magnifying glass to read....in broad daylight.
My original solution to this problem---I live near a traffic intersection that is habitually number one in car accidents in St. Louis county. There are always shards of glass and metal in the gutter around there. One day I found a Nissan nameplate that beautifully fit over the Soul plate on the back of the car. Of course it was supposed to be a joke, but we park our car in the front driveway and nobody has tried to steal it.