Kia America Announces New Safety Measure Engine Modification to Deter Auto Theft
The auto market is starting to get a lot more digital with infotainment systems turning into operating systems and companies like Google and Amazon joining the game. A digital market is also more susceptible to hacking, which opens a new danger for automakers to tackle in the spirit of auto safety. Some automakers have offered over-the-air (OTA) updates, but only if running an infotainment system with those enabled. There is always the form of getting a steering wheel lock, but they’re not always reliable. Kia America announced a new additional security measure to support its consumers who may want to be extra careful about preventing auto theft – a simple hardware modification to the engine.
Auto theft can’t happen if the car can’t start. So, that’s all it really takes? Yes, according to Kia America. They’re calling it an ignition cylinder protector, and it’s the new mod offered for Kia owners not eligible for the OTA updates. Kia owners looking to get the mod are in luck. The additional modification is available through a free Customer Satisfaction Initiative. Just in case any would-be car thieves are deterred by stickers and decals, each vehicle modified comes with decals denoting that the vehicle is equipped with enhanced theft protection. Kia America is currently contacting the eligible model owners via multiple points of contact to bring their vehicles to the nearest Kia dealership if they want to have the free ignition protector installed.
“Vehicle security is a top priority for Kia and we continue to take action to support our customers by helping to protect their vehicles from thefts, which have been encouraged by content spread across social media…Reinforcing the ignition cylinder body is the latest step to help guard against these methods of theft and we strongly encourage owners of vehicles that don’t have engine immobilizers and are not able to receive our security software upgrade to have this free security measure installed.” – Greg Silvestri, vice president, service operations, Kia America
As mentioned above, this new safety measure is a response to Kia owners who don’t have an infotainment system, OTA updates enabled, or digital capabilities. Kia owners who did have OTA updates enabled were able to download an anti-theft software upgrade programmed to restrict the operation of the vehicle’s ignition system, should a criminal attempt to steal a vehicle without the key present. The upgrade is easy to install and only takes about 30 minutes to add to the vehicle. Initially, Kia America also enabled online ordering of physical steering wheel locks.
The new additional modification is pretty similar to the OTA update, but more about the engineering. Eligible Kia models that come with a key-operated ignition system include the Kia Sportage model years 2011 – 2016, the Kia Forte model years 2011 – 2016, the Kia Soul model years 2010 – 2022, the Kia Rio model years 2011 – 2021, and the 2014 model year of the Kia Sedona. For more information and to find out if eligible, consumers can also go to ksupport.kiausa.com/ConsumerAffairs/SWLD.
Interested in getting a Kia vehicle with this new mod? Find a new Kia at Miami Lakes Automall.