Police see rise in Kia, Hyundai thefts across Massachusetts
SPRINGFIELD - A warning for Kia and Hyundai owners in Massachusetts, you may want to keep your vehicles inside. Police across the state are seeing a rise in thefts from these car makers.
Springfield Police say 12 Kias and Hyundais were stolen in April alone, and another dozen were broken into. It's happening in certain Hyundai models from 2015 to 2020, and certain Kia vehicles from 2010 to 2020. These vehicles lack an immobilizer. The part tells your car that the key in the ignition is the one that belongs to your car. Thieves have been stealing these cars with just a USB cord.
"They smash open the steering column, and they are able to do some trickery to get the engine started without a key," explained Ryan Walsh with Springfield Police.
Both companies have begun rolling out software updates, but not all cars have it yet.
"Call your local dealer to see if there is a software update available, then realize as well, your car is still going to be targeted because the thieves don't know if your car has that new software or not. They are talking about getting stickers and things to be a deterrent, but something like the club would potentially work in these situations," explains Walsh. "The club, some kind of steering wheel lock, so that even if an individual can start your car, they wouldn't be able to steer it."
One woman in Attleboro had her car updated, and thieves still stole her white Kia sedan. Colleen McNulty discovered it when she went out to work, noticed the car was gone, and there was broken glass in her driveway.
"Hoping it's not too damaged when it gets returned. It had a Celtics license plate, but that's about the only thing that's different about it," explained McNulty, adding that she has learned more about the theft issues since her car went missing. "I was made more aware in February when I brought my car in for an oil change, and they said they updated the anti-theft system due to that."
Springfield Police say these thefts have become a social media challenge. All too often, they are seeing are teenagers who break in and drive the car only a few blocks for a joy ride. If the car software has been updated, Walsh says the thieves then just steal anything that is in the car out of frustration.
"With the way juvenile law is in Massachusetts, these individuals are caught at times, we have arrested three involved in these types of crimes in the past few weeks, but they are right back on the street the next night. Without the proper homing, they may be out the next night to do it with their friends," adds Walsh.