A troubling trend related to car thefts is now leading to insurance concerns. Many local drivers have reached out to ABC15 after not being able to get their vehicles covered.
"We asked for the new price for the insurance for the Kia Seltos and they told us that they wouldn't renew it because of the TikTok challenge," said Troi Waln, who owns a Kia.
Experts say certain makes and models lacked a certain feature, making them easier to steal. ABC15 reached out to both impacted car dealers for a response. Kia sent a statement saying, "We are in contact with major insurance carriers so they are aware of the actions we have taken in an effort to assist our customers who may be facing issues with access to coverage."
Although, some drivers say they are still having no luck with some of the largest auto insurers. ABC15 asked a local independent insurance broker to weigh in on what he's been seeing.
"We have access to a ton of different carriers and there are carriers that are risk tolerant to those types of vehicles. So yes, I have had a lot of people recently, and in the last six months. It's been very difficult to place people with insurance with those particular vehicles," said Brad Taylor, CEO of Taylor Insurance Brokers.
However, he said in the last two months, he has seen a change in carriers being more willing to look at things on a case-by-case basis. ABC15 is told most of the years in question are between 2011 and 2020 but, it can also be model and VIN-specific.
"There are many companies that are available to the marketplace that you've just never heard of. A handful of them will take on those specific cases but understand it might be expensive," said Taylor.
Kia's full statement can be read below:
“Kia continues to take comprehensive action to support our customers in response to this situation that has been created by criminals using methods of theft promoted and popularized on social media to steal or attempt to steal certain vehicle models.
We’re continuing to strongly encourage eligible customers to have the software upgrade that we developed and rolled out earlier this year installed. The upgrade is designed to restrict the operation of the vehicle’s ignition system should a criminal attempt to steal a locked vehicle without the key, and we remain confident that this upgrade further enhances the vehicle’s security once it is installed. To date, more than 790.000 vehicles nationwide have received the upgrade and Kia continues to spread awareness about its availability by establishing a dedicated website [ksupport.kiausa.com] with detailed information, hosting off-site events in multiple cities to make it easier for eligible customers to have the upgrade installed, and partnering with Carfax to inform owners that their vehicle is eligible for the upgrade.
We also continue to provide steering wheel locks to owners of impacted vehicles that are not eligible for the software upgrade at no cost to them. These free steering wheel locks further enhance the vehicle’s security and can serve as a theft-deterrent for potential car thieves. Kia customers can obtain free, Kia-provided locks through their local law enforcement agency or they can request a steering wheel lock from Kia directly through the dedicated website. To date, we have distributed more than 300,000 locks and we will continue to provide them as they are needed. Earlier this year, we also announced an agreement that will allow customers who have been impacted by vehicle thefts to receive additional benefits and we’re hopeful that affected individuals will soon be able to obtain these benefits.
Kia has been and continues to be willing to work cooperatively with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it, and we are also committed to working with insurance companies to ensure our customers have access to quality and comprehensive coverage. We are in contact with major insurance carriers so they are aware of the actions we have taken in an effort to assist our customers who may be facing issues with access to coverage, and we are aware of at least [insurance.maryland.gov] three [michigan.gov] states [insurance.ca.gov] that have issued formal bulletins to insurance carriers reminding them of their legal obligation to offer coverage for drivers in their respective states.”
