ATLANTA — In metro Atlanta, police report a sharp increase in the number of Hyundai and Kia thefts and now seems like it's causing insurance companies to drop drivers.
It started with videos going viral on the video-sharing platform TikTok showing step-by-step guides to steal certain models of cars.
This has put Hyundai and Kia owners on edge as they can fall victim to car theft or feel they're at risk of losing their car insurance policy.
11Alive looked into how likely this is to happen.
THE QUESTION
Have some car insurance companies stopped covering Hyundai and Kia models due to thefts?
SOURCES
- Insurance agencies
- Progressive
- StateFarm
- Nationwide
- Car dealers
- Kia
- Hyundai
- National Insurance Crime Bureau
- Highway Loss Data Institute
- Insurance Information Institute
THE ANSWER
Yes, come car insurance companies have stopped covering Hyundai and Kia models.
WHAT WE FOUND
The change applies to new policies though, not for existing customers.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, thefts of the targeted makes and models increased dramatically throughout the United States in 2022.
It was so bad, industry leaders asked YouTube to remove those how-to videos.
The Highway Loss Data Institute shows theft insurance claims among 2015 to 2019 models of Hyundai and Kia were nearly double those of all other manufacturers. This has caused Progressive and StateFarm to not issue new policies in some areas, including Georgia.
Remember, this change impacts new policies. If a vehicle is already insured it will continue to be covered.
A Nationwide agent in Kennesaw said the company is monitoring theft trends but ultimately not changing policies.
To help address the issue both Hyundai and Kia plan to provide free steering wheel locks to customers through law enforcement agencies.