Kia has rolled out a software update to forestall greater than eight million vulnerable vehicles from being easily stolen, but a Kia has already been stolen.
NEW ORLEANS — It’s a story that is been told a whole lot of times over the past yr: stealing a Kia or Hyundai from the streets of New Orleans using just a USB cable.
It happened to Taylor Rose’s 2020 Kia Optima in the early morning hours of April 15 on Napoleon Avenue.
– No, they do not care about you. They only care about themselves,” Rose said.
He went out with a friend and returned in the early morning hours to seek out the back window on the bottom where his automotive had been parked. The 19-year-old said he couldn’t consider what he saw.
“I believed: My automotive is gone. It’s not where I left it. And I just fell to the ground,” Rose said.
However, his automotive was intercepted just 15 hours after he left the Premier Kia lot on the Kenner Parking lot, promising that a recent automaker security software update would protect his automotive from easy theft.
The order shows that the work was accomplished and the automotive was ready for pickup on Friday afternoon. A police report by the New Orleans Police Department shows the automotive disappeared from the streets of New Orleans at 1:45 a.m. Saturday morning.
Kia tells Eyewitness News that that is the first reported case of a vehicle with a software update being stolen.
“A lot of questions about what you fixed? Like, what… what was your attempt? What? What exactly did you fix about it?” he said.
His first automotive was Rose’s 2020 Kia Optima. He spent months working at Raising Cane’s, saving up to purchase it. Less than 18 months ago, his parents surprised him with a vehicle at work.
“I worked hard for this. It’s just not in my possession anymore, which still hits me,” he said.
Taylor’s father, Scott Rose, is a sergeant with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. He said as soon as he and his wife received the decision from their son, they knew the automotive could be used in a nefarious manner.
“I told my wife they were going to use the car to commit other crimes. We saw it day after day,” Sgt. Rose said.
The Kia and Hyundai thefts began in the summer of 2022, when a viral video showed that a Kia may very well be stolen without a key after turning the important thing.
Thefts of these vehicles – using only USB cables – have exploded across the country. 1 / 4 of New Orleans automotive thefts in 2022 involved Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
The numbers in Jefferson Parish are similar. According to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, of the 154 vehicles stolen between January and March 2023, 52 were Kias and Hyundais.
In early 2023, some insurance firms stopped issuing recent policies for sensitive vehicles. Manufacturers then began handing out free wheel locks to drivers.
Three months ago, Kia and Hyundai rolled out a software update for 2011-2021 vehicles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 8.4 million vehicles are eligible for retrofitting.
Was what happened to Taylor’s automotive an accident? Was the update not fully installed? Or perhaps it’s a software weakness?
The dealership didn’t immediately provide a solution to Scott and his wife after they asked how this might have happened.
“Whoever helped her [Rose] he said, “Oh, that’s impossible.” Now, not after what we just did to the vehicle. It is impossible.’ And my wife tells them, “Well, sir, it’s possible because it was stolen.” It was stolen from New Orleans.” Rose said.
A number of days after the theft, Taylor Rose received a call from an NOPD detective advising him that his automotive had been found at 900 Howard Avenue, near the intersection of O’Keefe Avenue. At first he said he was excited. His father said he ran down the steps with the news.
“I felt a huge sense of confidence, not knowing at the time that it was all over, just confidence. OK, my property has been found. And I hope I get it back. And then she [the detective] he was explaining to me how it was added up,” Taylor said.
Together. Detective photos show significant damage to the front of the automotive and a missing rear window. Inside, the situation is worse. The steering column was torn apart, each airbags deployed, there was live ammunition in the middle console, and the photo shows a USB port connected to the steering column and a second cable in the dashboard.
“With all the updates they just made, it’s still getting stolen. It was amazing,” said Sgt. Rose after seeing the photos. Eyewitness News reported all this to Kia’s communications department, who contacted the buyer affairs team. They told us that Taylor’s automotive was the one reported automotive theft report after the update.
We have provided Rose’s work order and the NOPD police report, but Kia says they may need access to the vehicle for a physical inspection before they’ll determine what happened. A Kia representative said the corporate is attempting to contact Roses for more information.
But for now, that inspection may have to attend as NOPD tries to trace the automotive for a number of crimes committed before it was abandoned.
Sgt. Rose stated that it was a frustrating time for his family.
“So my question is the only question I direct to Kia Corporation. What are you doing? What are you doing to fix it? Because we buy vehicles from you to live from day to day, and what are you doing to fix it?” he asked.
Roses insurance company has provided Taylor with a loaner automotive while the case is being investigated, but he cannot drive it because he’s under 25 years old.
The Rose family is now in the insurance business and are in search of one other automotive with more security.
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