SOME OF THE VEHICLES FROM THOSE SOUTH KOREAN
AUTOMAKERS ARE SIMPLY TOO EASY TO STEAL.
HYUNDAI AND KIA VEHICLES THAT USE
PHYSICAL IGNITION KEYS ARE SO EASY TO STEAL,
NEEDING NOTHING MORE SPECIALIZED THAN A USB
CABLE THAT MAJOR U. S. AUTO INSURANCE
COMPANIES HAVE STARTED TO REFUSE TO COVER THEM
SO FAR. THIS APPEARS TO BE A TREND
ISOLATED TO COLUMBUS IN DENVER OHIO,
BUT IT IS SPREADING
PROGRESSIVE RELEASED A MEDIA STATEMENT IN WHICH
IT CONFIRMED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE ISSUING NEW AUTO
INSURANCE POLICIES TO CERTAIN HYUNDAI AND KIA
MODELS. WITHIN CERTAIN AMERICAN CITIES,
IT STARTED WITH COLUMBUS AND DENVER
OHIO AND IT LOOKS AS THOUGH ST LOUIS
MISSOURI WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED ON THE LIST
DUE TO THE THEFT RISK THAT SOME HYUNDAI AND KIA
VEHICLES PRESENT. IN MANY CASES IT MAKES
THESE VEHICLES DIFFICULT TO ENSURE SO
IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, WE HAVE ADJUSTED
OUR ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA FOR NEW BUSINESS.
THERE IS NO CHANGE FOR EXISTING CUSTOMERS
ON SOME OF THESE MODELS SAID THE STATEMENT
FROM PROGRESSIVE, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR
HOW THIS ISSUE PLAYS OUT AND ARE HOPEFUL TO BE TO
REVISIT OUR DECISION AS THE THEFT RISK DIMINISHES
AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS IMPROVES.
AT THE TIME OF THE WRITING OF THIS ARTICLE, STATE
FARM HAD YET TO RELEASE A MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE
SUBJECT BUT UPON REQUEST, IT
REFERENCED CRIME AND AUTO INSURANCE RATE RESOURCES
WITH WHICH THE CONCLUSION COULD BE DRAWN THAT SOME MODELS
OF HYUNDAI AND KIA VEHICLES ARE TOO EASY TO
STEAL TO BE INSURABLE
DRIVERS WITH CERTAIN MODELS IN THOSE CITIES
ARE BEING DENIED. AUTO INSURANCE COVERAGE FROM
THOSE INSURERS
FOR THE DRIVERS WHO DO MANAGE TO BE ACCEPTED
FOR AUTO INSURANCE COVERAGE BY PROGRESSIVE
OR STATE FARM. IN THOSE AREAS, SOME ARE
FINDING THAT THEIR PREMIUMS ARE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER
THAN THEY WOULD BE WITH A SIMILAR VEHICLE FROM A DIFFERENT
AUTOMAKER. THIS IS APPARENTLY THE CASE.
EVEN AMONG DRIVERS OF MODELS THAT HAVE A PUSH
BUTTON START INSTEAD OF THE PHYSICAL IGNITION KEY,
THERE IS A STAGGERINGLY HIGH RATE OF THEFT OF VEHICLES
MADE BY HYUNDAI AND KIA IN MANY METROPOLITAN
AREAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN FACT,
TOGETHER, THEY REPRESENT 38%
OF ALL STOLEN VEHICLES IN COLUMBUS OHIO,
ONE OF THE AFFECTED CITIES IN LOS
ANGELES CALIFORNIA. THAT FIGURE IS CLOSER
TO 20%. THAT SAID,
THE L. A. P. D. HAS ISSUED AN ALERT TO OWNERS
OF THOSE TYPES OF VEHICLE RECOMMENDING THAT
THEY INSTALLED GPS, TRACKERS, BATTERY
DISCONNECTS, STEERING WHEEL LOCKS OR
OTHER TYPES OF THEFT DETERRENT. THANK
YOU FOR FOLLOWING L. A. N. MAKE SURE
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