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Kia’s and Hyundai’s are being targeted for car theft at an alarming rate.When Gale Williams of Kansas City, Missouri, bought one, problems came with it.”You come home every day and there’s color in your yard,” Williams told sister station KMBC. “You see your plants growing, it’s just a lovely feeling.”It’s a feeling Williams doesn’t take for granted because the past few months haven’t been so rosy. “It goes to show that everything that glitters isn’t always gold,” she said.Williams, a part-time administrative assistant, had no idea the 2016 Hyundai Elantra she just bought was a gold mine for thieves. “If I had just listened to my son,” Williams said. “I did like the car better. It’s just that I thought this was a good deal.”A deal that’s left Williams full of confusion and regret.She paid $25,000 for the car but was then denied insurance from several major providers.Progressive, State Farm, AARP and AAA all came back denying coverage.”I have a good driving record,” Williams said. “I didn’t understand why they did not want to insure the car for me.”Each company denied coverage for the same reason: The alarming rate of stolen Hyundai’s in her neighborhood. “I’ve seen a lot of rejections for them,” said Rusty Arrington, a Kansas City-area insurance broker. “I’ll get a note saying the vehicle is not eligible because of the high theft rate.”Arrington, who has been a broker in the area for 10 years, is also having a hard time getting full coverage for his clients with Kia’s and Hyundai’s. “Most of the time I have to send them back to the dealership and have the dealership put full coverage on them,” he said. Kansas City, Missouri Police say the trend started in 2021 when a social media video showed just how easy it was to steal certain Kia and Hyundai models. Since then, Kansas City has seen an increase in car thefts.Nearly 8,000 cars were stolen in the city in one year, of those, about half were Hyundai’s or Kia’s. And consumers like Gale Williams are paying the price.”I feel like the damage is done, that I’m stuck in this position, but I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” she said. “This made me physically ill.”After several calls, State Farm finally approved full coverage for Williams and her Hyundai, but with conditions: She had to install Hyundai’s anti-theft software and a steering wheel lock. “It was a horrible purchase,” Williams said. “I regret it every day and I wish I could turn back the hands of time.”And it wasn’t long until the very thing Williams and her insurance company feared would happen, did happen. A theft attempt — and it was caught on camera.
Kia’s and Hyundai’s are being targeted for car theft at an alarming rate.
When Gale Williams of Kansas City, Missouri, bought one, problems came with it.
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“You come home every day and there’s color in your yard,” Williams told sister station KMBC. “You see your plants growing, it’s just a lovely feeling.”
It’s a feeling Williams doesn’t take for granted because the past few months haven’t been so rosy.
“It goes to show that everything that glitters isn’t always gold,” she said.
Williams, a part-time administrative assistant, had no idea the 2016 Hyundai Elantra she just bought was a gold mine for thieves.
“If I had just listened to my son,” Williams said. “I did like the car better. It’s just that I thought this was a good deal.”
A deal that’s left Williams full of confusion and regret.
She paid $25,000 for the car but was then denied insurance from several major providers.
Progressive, State Farm, AARP and AAA all came back denying coverage.
“I have a good driving record,” Williams said. “I didn’t understand why they did not want to insure the car for me.”
Each company denied coverage for the same reason: The alarming rate of stolen Hyundai’s in her neighborhood.
“I’ve seen a lot of rejections for them,” said Rusty Arrington, a Kansas City-area insurance broker. “I’ll get a note saying the vehicle is not eligible because of the high theft rate.”
Arrington, who has been a broker in the area for 10 years, is also having a hard time getting full coverage for his clients with Kia’s and Hyundai’s.
“Most of the time I have to send them back to the dealership and have the dealership put full coverage on them,” he said.
Kansas City, Missouri Police say the trend started in 2021 when a social media video showed just how easy it was to steal certain Kia and Hyundai models.
Since then, Kansas City has seen an increase in car thefts.
Nearly 8,000 cars were stolen in the city in one year, of those, about half were Hyundai’s or Kia’s.
And consumers like Gale Williams are paying the price.
“I feel like the damage is done, that I’m stuck in this position, but I don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” she said. “This made me physically ill.”
After several calls, State Farm finally approved full coverage for Williams and her Hyundai, but with conditions: She had to install Hyundai’s anti-theft software and a steering wheel lock.
“It was a horrible purchase,” Williams said. “I regret it every day and I wish I could turn back the hands of time.”
And it wasn’t long until the very thing Williams and her insurance company feared would happen, did happen. A theft attempt — and it was caught on camera.
(source)