I don't think the Stingers are one of the Kia vehicles being stolen. My understanding is that is that the problem vehicles are vehicles without engine immobilizers. I don't think the cars being stolen are cars with key fobs; I think the cars being stolen have actual turn-keys for the ignition. Engine immobilizers were not standard on every Hyundai/Kia. If you have pushbutton start (all Stingers do), you are probably fine.
I also think news articles are intentionally not trying to be too specific when detailing what the cause of the problems are. From what i've patched together:
Hyundai and Kia are working with local police to provide owners with steering-wheel locks, and Kia will make engine immobilizers standard on all 2022 models.
www.caranddriver.com
> "Kia thieves know they can
break the back window without setting off an alarm, unlock the door, quickly peel back the steering column, and either use a screwdriver or a USB port to crank the car and go."
> "City council members are
blaming the automakers for allegedly
not installing anti-theft devices such as engine immobilizers in their cars."
> "The police are providing anti-theft steering-wheel locks to owners of Hyundai and Kia vehicles
that don't have an engine immobilizer, a transponder in the ignition key that communicates with electronic devices inside the vehicle to prevent theft."
Milwaukee is on pace to see 10,000 car stolen this year, a pace that's up 172%. And two-thirds of them are Hyundais and Kias. Here's why.
www.autoblog.com
> "What's known is that the
vehicles don't have an engine immobilizer, and
breaking in through a rear window doesn't trip an alarm. Once thieves get the glass out of the way, they peel back the steering column cover and start the car with a tool like pliers or,
in some cases, a USB cable."
I think talk of the USB port/cable have people thinking there is some higher-tech hacking going on, but not according to this article:
"There's a mechanism that they manipulate and it could be as easily as manipulated with a USB cord," a police spokesperson said.
www.wisn.com
> "There's a mechanism that they manipulate and it could be as easily manipulated with a USB cord," Cornejo said. When asked specifically how, he said, "I don't want to get into the particulars of it just because, you know, it is a concern that we have for other individuals to find out," although the exponential increase in numbers indicates the word and method is out there in the public domain.
"It's not connected or plugged into anything else. They use it kind of like you would use the tip of a screwdriver, for example," he said.
www.tmj4.com
