The updates are free for thousands and thousands of autos which can be lacking a key anti-theft gadget, a problem that was exploited on social media and led to rampant theft of the vehicles.

The software program being launched updates the theft alarm software program logic to increase the size of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to at least one minute and requires the important thing to be within the ignition change to show the automobile on.

About 3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias are eligible for the software program replace, the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration mentioned Tuesday.

Hyundai mentioned updates start Tuesday for almost 4 million autos starting with one million mannequin 12 months 2017-2020 Elantra, 2015-2019 Sonata and 2020-2021 Venue autos. The software program improve is scheduled to be obtainable for the remaining eligible autos by June.

“We’ve got prioritized the improve’s availability for house owners and lessees of our highest promoting autos and people most focused by thieves to ensure that sellers to service them first,” mentioned Randy Parker, CEO of Hyundai Motor America.

In September the Freeway Loss Information Institute, a unit of the Insurance coverage Institute for Freeway Security, discovered that Hyundais and Kias with out immobilizers had a automobile theft declare fee of two.18 per 1,000 insured automobile years. The remainder of the trade mixed had a fee of 1.21. An insured automobile 12 months is the same as one automobile insured for one 12 months.

The institute in contrast autos from the 2015 via 2019 mannequin years. It studied automobile theft claims from 2021.

Hyundai says all fashions produced after Nov. 1, 2021 have immobilizers as commonplace tools.

A TikTok social media problem put a highlight on the autos’ lack of an immobilizer and resulted in at the very least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities, in line with the NHTSA. The problem reveals TikTok viewers learn how to hot-wire Kia and Hyundai vehicles with a USB twine and a screwdriver.

In October a police commissioner mentioned {that a} automobile crash in Buffalo, New York that left 4 youngsters useless could have been linked to the TikTok problem. Within the incident, a complete of six youngsters had been in a dashing Kia that crashed, Buffalo police mentioned. The automobile had been reported stolen.

Hyundai and Kia will begin software program updates later this month, with subsequent phases over the subsequent a number of months. Hyundai may also present window stickers to automobile house owners that alert would-be thieves that the automobile has anti-theft safety.

Automobile house owners can contact Hyundai at 800-633-5151 and Kia at 800-333-4542 for data on the software program replace.