ATLANTA — As the Atlanta Police Department continues to combat the high number of Kia and Hyundai car thefts, they are stepping up their fight against the trend.
In partnership with the Atlanta Police Department and the greater Atlanta community, Kia America will host a free, anti-theft software upgrade event on Saturday, Aug. 12 at the Atlanta Civic Center in an effort to prevent criminals from stealing Kia vehicles as popularized on social media.
The software upgrade is designed to restrict the operation of the vehicle’s ignition system should an attempt be made to steal a locked vehicle without the owner’s key. The upgrade has been installed in close to 600,000 vehicles across the country thus far and owners report the process is completed in approximately 30 minutes.
APD Auto-Crimes Commander Rodney Jones said at it's height of thefts, the city of Atlanta saw a 1,300% increase in auto crimes following a challenge on TikTok that went viral in 2021 showing people how to use a USB cable to start both Kia's and Hyundai's.
"The software update will actually sound the alarm when they attempt to circumvent the immobilizers that are in these vehicles," Jones explained. "It will trigger another anti-theft on the vehicles, but it won’t allow them to be stolen."
The upgrade was unveiled this spring and since then Kia said it has been installed in about 600,000 vehicles. Kia owners can confirm eligibility for the software upgrade here.
Saturday's event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free to the public. APD will also be handing out steering wheel locks.