After two years, tens of thousands of stolen cars, and a multi-million dollar settlement, Kia is trying to upgrade security software on as many of its cars as possible. A video that went viral in 2022 showed how to steal certain models using a USB cord. The upgrade, the company said, will deter would-be thieves.
Friday, technicians from Kia set up a clinic at the Shrine on Airline for Kia owners to get it installed. The process takes about 25 minutes. The clinic will be open again from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Kia dealerships will also perform the service for free.
Joseph Barney, a Kia owner who came to the clinic, said he worried about theft after seeing news reports of Kias being stolen. He knew he could one day “come back from an event like, oh, my car’s gone.”
It was a reasonable worry. By the end of 2022, NOPD stats showed a quarter of all cars stolen in New Orleans were Kias or Hyundais. In 2023, the number of total car thefts shot up 70%.
The software upgrade acts as an “immobilizer,” said Kia America Head of Corporate Communications James Bell, “so if somebody tries to break into the car, using the way that they've seen on social media, it will run the alarm for an extended period of time and also disable the ignition system.”
WWL Louisiana asked about the reliability of the software. Almost a year ago, we reported that a local 19-year-old had his car stolen just hours after getting the upgrade at a Kia dealership. At the time Kia said it was the first reported case of that happening.
Friday, Bell said the software is reliable and that the company has performed the upgrade on millions of cars, with only a handful since getting stolen anyway. He said the company investigated those cases and could not find a clear reason for the failure, but reminded drivers they still have to lock their doors for the anti-theft software to work.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.