Hyundai Motor Company is conducting a series of anti-theft clinics across the country in response to a viral social media challenge that teaches people how to steal the company’s cars. M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore is the host of a clinic this weekend and eligible vehicle owners can receive anti-theft software that will make their car more difficult to steal.
I am the owner of a 2012 Hyundai Accent and my car has twice now been a target of attempted vehicle theft so I was eager to get any help I could get.
When I arrived on Friday at around 11 a.m., I didn’t have to wait in line at all. Officials from Hyundai say lines are longest when the clinic opens at 8 a.m., with cars lined up down the block before open.
Victoria Graves, a technician, signs me in by checking the VIN number on my car to see which kinds of upgrades would apply for my vehicle. Then, she sticks a colored tag on my car so that the other technicians know which service to provide and I get a ticket, like at a coat check, so I can reclaim my car when it’s done. At that point, I’m free to go wait in a heated tent with comfy chairs, snacks, WiFi and warm beverages.
The main point of the clinic is to get immobilization software onto as many vulnerable vehicles as possible. That’s meant to make up for the lack of a device called an engine immobilizer on many Hyundai models built from 2011-2012. As a result, some thieves realized the cars could be started with as little as a USB cord, in some cases.
The City of Baltimore has joined a number of cities across the country in suing Hyundai and Kia Motors, many of whose vehicles similarly lack engine immobilization, for their lenient anti-theft measures.
The new software has an “ignition kill” feature designed to prevent that. The software only works, however, when a person locks the car using the key fob — if the car is locked by pressing the button on the door, the software does not activate.
Rather than wait inside the tent, I go to watch how the software is installed. There are several technicians working on as many as eight cars at a time, keeping the pace moving quickly.
Nathan Edmonds, Director of Warranty and technical dealer support at Hyundai, shows me how the upgrade is done using just an Android tablet and a dongle plugged into the car’s OBD II port, on the underside of the dashboard.
“Once we select it, it goes ahead and updates the vehicle through that dongle. This process takes about 10-15 minutes depending on the model…it's a pretty simple process for a very complicated repair,” explained Edmonds, referring to the damage done when the cars are stolen.
The upgrades can be done at a clinic or at a Hyundai dealership but many dealerships around the country are overwhelmed with repairs on stolen vehicles or requests for the upgrade.
“I had set up an appointment with the dealership but I couldn’t get in until February so I thought, ‘This is great. I can get it taken care of before having to wait a few more months,’” said Trish Kearney of Olney.
The whole process, from start to finish, takes about half an hour on average, officials from Hyundai estimated.
My car, the 2012 Accent, is not eligible for that software upgrade. But, I was able to get a protective sleeve installed on my ignition cylinder for just another layer of prevention.
To see if your car is eligible for the anti-theft immobilization upgrade, visit https://hyundaiantitheft.com.
The clinic is in Baltimore all weekend at M&T Bank Stadium in Lot H.
Saturday Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday Hours: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
