NAMPA, Idaho — Two Kias stolen from a Nampa neighborhood in recent weeks are raising concerns among neighbors, including one owner who is now considering replacing her car.
A neighbor’s doorbell camera captured people checking a Kia parked in a driveway. My own security camera recorded another neighbor’s stolen Kia being driven away.
The problem reaches beyond Nampa. Security footage also captured my coworker’s Hyundai being stolen in Twin Falls using the same method.
WATCH: My security camera captured a neighbor’s stolen Kia driving away. Learn what makes certain vehicles vulnerable and how owners can check for free anti-theft upgrades.
Kenzie Emerson bought her used 2016 Kia in 2021. She said she learned about the vulnerability when a neighbor asked whether her cameras had recorded their car being stolen.
“I felt like I did pretty good research on the car that I got,” Emerson said.
“I wasn't told about it that this was an issue going on with how easy it is for Kias to be stolen, so I felt really blindsided the past couple of weekends.”
Certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles with traditional turn-key ignitions were built without engine immobilizers. That technology prevents an engine from starting without a properly programmed key. Push-button models are not vulnerable to this particular theft method.
Find out if your Kia needs the upgrade here
Sam Sammons, customer care director at Treasure Valley Subaru, said the vulnerability affects vehicles across more than a decade of model years.
He explained that a traditional key can still provide electronic protection when the vehicle is equipped with the necessary technology.
“It has a built-in chip that has to be read by a small ring around the ignition cylinder to actually activate the vehicle,” Sammons said.
Owners should check their specific vehicle rather than assume every Kia from the affected years has the same vulnerability. Kia’s anti-theft support website allows owners to enter their vehicle identification number, or VIN, to check eligibility for a free software upgrade or ignition-cylinder protector.
Hyundai owners can also check for an anti-theft software upgrade
Nampa Police tell me most stolen vehicles are taken by someone close to the owner, with about a quarter taken by strangers. Police say those stranger thefts are almost always joyrides, with vehicles recovered within a few days.
Sammons also pointed to aftermarket security systems and recommended parking in a garage or well-lit area. Physical deterrents, including steering-wheel locks, provide another option for owners.
For Emerson, the recent thefts have prompted her to begin researching a replacement vehicle. She wants a car that protects both her family and their transportation.
“I want safety in the car because I have kids,” Emerson said.
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