Car Owners Beware

The Las Cruces Police Department is urging Kia and Hyundai owners to install anti-theft protections because of an uptick in stolen cars.

The police department first noticed the uptick in thefts when 49 of the cars were stolen in 2023 and 108 of the vehicles in 2024. The police recommend owners of those two makes to install the latest software updates for their cars to protect their vehicles against targeting of multiple models made from 2011 to 2022 vulnerable to theft.

The design flaw was discovered in 2021 when other states began reporting high theft rates in the specific models. The Highway Loss Data Institute first alerted the public in December 2021 of increased theft frequency. January through June 2022 specifically saw a 69% increase in thefts of Kia and Hyundai models over other brands. Since then, HLDI has monitored a steady increase in thefts over the last four years.

“We’ve noticed the city has had a similar trend of increase. We mainly see the young generation doing this,” said LCPD spokesperson Dan Trujillo.

The update includes an anti-theft engine immobilizer. This security system prevents the engine from starting when it cannot identify the car’s key fob. The remote sends a specific code to the immobilizer, which verifies that the correct key is in the car to start it.

Hyundai, Kia’s parent company, claims all models from the last decade are federally anti-theft compliant, according to an official email from Hyundai obtained by a News10 Consumer Alert report in New York. When asked about the absence of the security feature before 2023, the company states engine immobilizers are an industry standard, but the federal government does not require them. After the rise in stolen vehicles, Hyundai faced intense backlash, and a class action lawsuit was settled for $200 million after alleging that the models with the design flaw were more susceptible to theft.

“We call these crimes of opportunity. These are crimes that are easy to commit because of easy access to the target, making people more willing to act out. This is why we want people to update their cars and always remind people to lock their cars and take their belongings with them.” said Trujillo.

The Highway Loss Data Institute claims after installing the update an estimate of 64% of Kia and Hyundai thefts have decreased. However, vandalism due to botched robbery attempts has increased.

The threat of theft is still high for Kia and Hyundai owners. The key fob needs to be used for the engine immobilizer to activate. Using the lock button in or on the door handle does not activate the immobilizer and Hyundai is offering free steering wheel locks to key-to-start models.

LCPD is also offering free steering wheel locks on a first-come, first-serve basis for residents from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays at the Las Cruces Police Department, 217 E. Picacho Ave. Trujillo says owners should also consider a sound alarm or a kill switch to protect against theft.

Kill switches are hidden in a car and causes a circuit interruption that does not allow the vehicle to turn off unless the switch is off.

“If you want to ensure your car is safe, get a steering wheel lock or install a kill switch and make sure your car is updated with recent security systems. Unfortunately, the numbers aren’t increasing rapidly, but they are steady,” said Trujillo.

New Hyundai and Kia models now have a sticker indicating the car has an engine immobilizer.

For more information, check the owner's manual. Affected customers can contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151 or Kia at 1-800-333-4542.