How to better protect Kia, Hyundai vehicles from would-be car thieves

After an evening of playing cornhole, David Deshane's son was dropped off at their Akron home and quickly realized something was wrong.

His blue 2015 Kia Optima was missing despite having the car keys with him.

"He always parked out front on the street, but it wasn't there," the 56-year-old Deshane said.

The vehicle, listed in Deshane's name, was one of three stolen Nov. 9 in the Firestone Park neighborhood but was later recovered by police. Four more vehicles were damaged in attempted thefts.

Firestone thefts: Akron police investigating string of vehicle thefts in Firestone Park neighborhood

Vehicle thefts in Akron are down from last year, but thieves continue to target Kia and Hyundai models with keyed ignitions.

To better protect their vehicles, Kia and Hyundai car owners can install anti-theft software from local dealerships and purchase various car locks, including steering wheel locks.

Although a thief might break into a car, some of these options can make vehicles harder to steal.

Akron vehicle thefts

In total, some 820 vehicles — about 2.7 per day — were stolen in Akron between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, according to the Akron Police Department, which tracks such thefts by month. This is down from the same time period in 2022, when the department recorded 1,089 car thefts.

Of the 820, 110 were Kias and 86 were Hyundais.

Car thieves target Kia and Hyundai owners because many of those vehicles were manufactured without anti-theft software, allowing individuals without keys to easily drive off with those cars.

Kia and Hyundai first offered free anti-theft software to drivers in February, but USA TODAY reported in September that nearly 80% of the roughly 8.3 million impacted Kias and Hyundais still lacked the upgrades.

Thefts: Most Kia and Hyundais are still vulnerable to car theft. Is yours protected?

In response to a rise in these thefts across the nation, cities like New York City and Cleveland filed lawsuits against the two companies.

Cleveland saw a 94% jump in car thefts this year compared to 2022 at this time, reported News 5 Cleveland, a Beacon Journal news partner.

Between October and December 2022, the city of Cleveland said 1,203 Hyundai and Kia vehicles were stolen, accounting for 65% of the total vehicle thefts for those months, according to a news release issued in March.

How to protect vehicles from theft?

Kia and Hyundai owners can install the software upgrade in their vehicles by scheduling appointments at local dealerships.

This software, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, installs an immobilizer, extends the length of theft alarms from 30 seconds to one minute and requires the key to be in the ignition to turn a vehicle on.

Immobilizers prevent thieves from starting vehicles without first having a key, according to the Kia website.

Akron Police Capt. Michael Miller suggested vehicle owners lock their doors and ensure all windows are rolled up. Parking in lighted areas or having some form of exterior light can work as a deterrent.

"Good old-fashioned clubs for steering wheels are not only inexpensive but also a huge deterrent," Miller said. These steering wheel locks prevent or make it difficult for individuals to steer a car.

But Miller cautioned that these methods are not guaranteed to prevent vehicle thefts.

"In the end, thieves are unfortunately resilient, and like all crimes, auto thefts are crimes of opportunity," he said. "Limiting the opportunity reduces the number of incidents in a perfect sense."

Frustrated with Kia, Hyundai

Although two of the five stolen vehicles were not immediately found, Akron police found Deshane's Kia on the 1500 block of Glenmount Avenue. After recovering it, he discovered a smashed rear passenger window and a damaged steering column, making it impossible to use the key ignition.

"When they found the car, it was still running, and once we got it home, we didn't know how to turn it off," Deshane said. "We found a video on YouTube that showed us how."

The next day, they turned it on the same way and drove the Kia to a nearby auto repair shop.

What confused Deshane the most about the theft was that nothing else in the vehicle was taken. Everything was where his son left it, including loose change and a football jersey.

Although he is glad the police recovered his vehicle and nothing else was missing, Deshane blames Kia and Hyundai for these thefts.

"I didn't even know about the anti-theft software upgrade; they need to get better about communicating," Deshane said. "It needs to be documented that they need to do better."

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron car thefts: How to better protect your Kia, Hyundai vehicles