The fix makes it impossible to steal your turn-key-to-start Hyundais and you don’t need to spend money to get it.
Kia vehicles turned into a shocking black eye for the Korean manufacturer, exposing an embarrassing security flaw. The first—and albeit temporary—fix to better fortify vulnerable car models involved steering wheel locks, but those were not only easily defeat-able but were also easily opened with a low-skill lock pick attack. Even the fix was flawed.
Fortunately, Hyundai has been working on a permanent and free fix for affected vehicles with physical keys and traditional ignition tumblers, and the solution makes it impossible for scofflaws to drive your car away using the methods shown on TikTok.
The reason you don't hear about similar issues outside the U.S. is because, despite the mundane requirements governed by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, immobilizers aren't required by law like they areSince the 1980s, OEMs have integrated a signaling method into the ignition lock cylinder and key—though the idea was patented. While you could pick, yank out, or copy the key for the ignition cylinder, without the correct signla, the vehicle couldn't start.
The earliest forms of vehicle antitheft systems used a resistor made into the key and the ECU would be programmed to recognize that resistance and let it know that the proper key was being used. Today, we see this as either RFID or some sort of other short-range broadcasting signal like Bluetooth. Both forms of short-range radio also use a security protocol that changes the code the vehicle looks for and the fob or device transmits each time you start the vehicle or lock the doors.
The fix software updates certain vehicle control modules—as described by Hyundai—to immobilize the vehicle using the lock button on your key fob. Once you press that, the car will no longer be able to start until you push the unlock button to deactivate the"ignition kill" feature. Once programmed, Hyundai and its dealers will provide a decal to show that the immobilizer software has been installed.
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