Kia hosts software update clinic at Mall of America to prevent car thefts
This weekend, Kia is hosting a drive-through clinic to try and reduce the amount of car thefts.
This is an issue KSTP has reported on extensively over the past few years. Just last month the National Insurance Crime Bureau reported that Kia and Hyundai vehicles experienced the highest theft rates in 2023.
This weekend’s clinic is in a parking lot near Mall of America, and people who stopped by on Friday say they’re doing this for peace of mind.
“Every place I go, I make sure it’s locked,” said Susan Ertl, a Kia owner from Burnsville. “It really bothered me when it first started out.”
RELATED: Drivers struggle to insure Kia, Hyundai models that remain target of theft
For the last few years, thieves have been targeting several Kia and Hyundai models, stemming from a social media challenge that exposed a defect in ignition start vehicles.
“The fact that the immobilizer is not present makes it a little bit easier for them,” said James Bell, corporate communications with Kia America.
Last year, it even prompted the Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul to send a letter to Kia and Hyundai demanding the companies recall their vehicles and outfit them with better technology.
“One of their recommendations was to come to town and do one of these software upgrade clinics,” Bell said.
That’s exactly what Bell and his team at Kia did, installing software upgrades to affected Kia models.
“We feel like we’re giving Kia owners confidence again,” Bell said.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, last year Kia and Hyundai models represented 6 of the top 10 most stolen vehicles. Bell tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the Twin Cities is one of the harder-hit regions.
“We’re here to help,” Bell said.
So far, Kia has upgraded 1.2 million vehicles across the country. Ertl recommends her fellow Kia owners do the same.
“Get it done if it hasn’t been fixed already. It’s well worth any kind of wait,” Ertl said.
Hyundai hosted a similar event last November.
This weekend’s Kia clinic is back open Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mall of America, 2201 E. 78th St. in Bloomington.
If you miss it this weekend, Kia says the best thing you can do is get the free upgrades from a nearby dealership.
Visit Kia’s website to check if your vehicle is eligible for a software upgrade.