Michael and Kerry Lawrence are done with Kias. “We were very naive when we stole the first car. It was, ‘Oh, we’ve got insurance, we’re going to be fine,'” Carrie said. Affiliate station WISN 12 News spoke with Lawrence on Wednesday. They said they were stuck in a lease they couldn’t break. Thieves stole three of their Kias, and the dealership kept swapping one for another. “Kia really, they couldn’t be less helpful,” Carey said. The third time this happened, thieves totaled their car, canceling their lease and ultimately their policy with Progressive Auto Insurance.”Because of the amount of money they’ve spent on us over the last few months, they said they weren’t going to continue our policy,” said Michael. Affiliate news station WISN 12 has learned that insurance coverage for Kias and Hyundais is becoming more of a problem. In 2022, police reported that more than half of the 8,082 vehicles stolen in Milwaukee alone were Kias and Hyundais. This is what the Insurance Information Institute confirms that companies are now taking into account. “The auto insurance industry has been very alarmed by this trend when it comes to Kia and Hyundai,” said Michael Berry, director of communications for the Insurance Information Institute. Berry said it’s generally rare for insurance agencies to not renew policies. Kia and Hyundai owners may also face higher rates, he adds, and suggests getting additional coverage. “You want to make sure you have what’s called additional comprehensive coverage. It will cover you for theft and vandalism,” Berry said. The Lawrence family is not alone in its insurance woes. Janet Shields said thieves stole her Kia twice. She said the first time they broke it and put sugar in her gas tank. The second time she said the thieves ran over the pole. Shields said her insurance company, West Bend Mutual, has now dropped her. “I understand it’s weird to have two thefts on the same vehicle, but it’s not my fault,” Shields said. “It’s those kids, it’s the Kia Boys.” Progressive did not respond to repeated requests for comment. A spokesman for West Bend Mutual said in an email to sister station WISN 12 News that “there are a number of factors that go into the decision not to renew someone’s policy, including payment activity, claims activity, driving record and more.” Kia sent a written statement saying: “Kia remains concerned about a recent trend among youths in some areas, encouraged by social media, to target certain Kia vehicles with a steel key and turn-to-start ignition system.” In many cases, vehicles are stolen solely for the purpose of reckless operation. Such criminal behavior endangers our local communities and violates property rights. While no vehicle can be completely protected from theft, Kia continues to provide customers with steering wheel locks through concerned local law enforcement agencies. bodies, subject to availability, free of charge to interested owners of these vehicles.Kia is also continuing its efforts to develop additional solutions for vehicles not originally equipped with an immobilizer, including the development and testing of enhanced security software. All 2022 models and trims have an immobilizer installed either at the start of the year or as a modification, and all Kia vehicles meet or exceed federal motor vehicle safety standards. Kia customers with questions about their Kia vehicle should contact the Kia Customer Care Center directly at 800-333-4542.” Watch the video above for the full story.
Michael and Kerry Lawrence are done with Kias.
“We were very naive when we stole the first car. It was, ‘Oh, we’ve got insurance, we’re going to be fine,'” Carey said.
Affiliate station WISN 12 News spoke with Lawrence on Wednesday. They said they were stuck in a lease they couldn’t break. Thieves stole three of their Kias, and the dealership kept swapping one for another.
“Kia really, they couldn’t be less helpful,” Carey said.
The third time it happened, thieves wrecked their car, canceling their lease and eventually their policy with Progressive Auto Insurance.
“Because of the amount of money they’ve spent on us over the last few months, they said they weren’t going to renew our policy,” Michael said.
Affiliate news station WISN 12 has learned that insurance coverage for Kias and Hyundais is becoming a growing problem.
In 2022, the police reported more than half of the 8,082 cars Kias and Hyundais were stolen in Milwaukee alone.
This is something special Institute of Insurance Information confirms that companies are now taking note.
“The auto insurance industry is very alarmed by this trend when it comes to Kia and Hyundai,” said Michael Berry, director of communications for the Insurance Information Institute.
Berry said it’s generally rare for insurance agencies to not renew policies.
Kia and Hyundai owners may also face higher rates, he adds, and suggests getting additional coverage.
“You want to make sure you have what’s called extra comprehensive coverage. It will cover you for theft and vandalism,” Berry said.
The Lawrence family is not alone in its insurance woes.
Janet Shields said thieves stole her Kia twice.
She said the first time they broke it and put sugar in her gas tank. The second time, she said the thieves ran over the pole.
Shields said her insurance, West Bend Mutual, is now dropping her.
“I understand it’s weird to have two thefts on the same car, but it’s not my fault,” Shields said. “It’s those kids, it’s the Kia Boys.”
Progressive did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
A spokesman for West Bend Mutual said in an email to sister station WISN 12 News that “there are a number of factors that go into the decision not to renew someone’s policy, including payment activity, claims activity, driving record and more.”
Kia sent a written statement saying:
“Kia remains concerned about the recent trend among youth in some areas, fueled by social media, to target certain Kia vehicles with a steel key and turn-to-start ignition system. In many cases, cars are stolen solely for the purpose of reckless activity. This type of criminal behavior endangers our local communities and violates property rights.
While no vehicle can be completely theft-proof, Kia continues to provide steering wheel locks to customers through interested local law enforcement agencies, subject to availability, free of charge to interested owners of these vehicles.
Kia is also continuing efforts to develop additional solutions for vehicles not originally equipped with an immobilizer, including the development and testing of enhanced security software. All 2022 models and trims have an immobilizer installed either at the start of the year or as a modification, and all Kia vehicles meet or exceed federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Kia customers with questions about their Kia vehicle should contact Kia’s Customer Care Center directly at 800-333-4542.
Watch the video above for the full story.
An insurance expert says the industry is “very alarmed” by Kia and Hyundai thefts
Source link An insurance expert says the industry is “very alarmed” by Kia and Hyundai thefts