The TikTok challenge story, which seemed never to end, is ending. Hyundai has said that their software fixes, which make the cars harder to steal than they look in viral videos, are now ready for all affected models, many months ahead of schedule. After it came out earlier this year that Progressive and State Farm either raised prices on the vulnerable models or refused to cover them, AAA said it would give owners of the weak model choices for insurance. Hyundai just finished releasing software updates, one for each model, for the almost 4 million Hyundai cars that could still be stolen using a simple method made famous on TikTok before the updates. The software rollout started in February, and the latest versions are now available several months earlier than Hyundai had planned. Hyundai’s new code is for damaged cars that don’t have an electric immobilizer built in. The TikTok way no longer works because cars need a real key to turn off the new “ignition kill” feature. Hyundai and Kia, whose cars are also affected, have stressed how important it is to install this update and said that it could be done at any Hyundai shop in less than an hour. One Insurance Company That’s Here to Stay Last week, the company also said it would work with AAA to ensure that affected cars are covered by insurance. That may not seem like a big deal, but State Farm and Progressive said earlier this year that they would no longer accept new policies for easily stolen cars or raise premiums. Having at least one source of coverage is better than having none. Now that the software fix is in place, the cars are less attractive to thieves, so AAA shouldn’t have to spend as much money trying to find stolen Hyundais in the future. Hyundai and AAA said that the new coverage choices would be available in “most” states but not in Alaska, Massachusetts, or Washington, where AAA does not have a presence. How to tell if your car is affected and what to do Visit the official HyundaiAntiTheft.com website for more information if you own or think you own a car that is affected. Hyundai will give you a free steering wheel lock or another anti-theft device, like an alarm kit if you can’t get the software update for your car. Since November 2021, every Hyundai vehicle has had a device that stops the engine from running.
