Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LINDON — The Hyundai Murdock of Lindon is partnering with Lindon police to host a mobile clinic where Hyundai drivers can have their vehicle's anti-theft technology upgraded for free.
Lindon city officials said the clinic is in response to "persistent thefts" of certain Hyundai vehicles without push-button ignitions and anti-theft devices. The clinic will be held Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 530 Lindon Park Drive.
CNN reported certain Hyundai and Kia models saw a tenfold increase in thefts since 2020, "a wildly dramatic increase in the wake of a series of social media posts showing people how to steal the vehicles."
The Associated Press in May 2023 said the sharp uptick has been linked to viral videos, posted to TikTok and other social media platforms, teaching people how to start the cars with USB cables and exploit a security vulnerability in some models sold in the U.S. without engine immobilizers, a standard feature on most cars since the 1990s preventing the engine from starting unless the key is present.
The clinic is part of Hyundai's nationwide network of dealerships offering free anti-theft software upgrades. Mobile service technicians will be at the clinic to install the software upgrade, which takes approximately 20 minutes.
The Hyundai website has further details on the nearly 4 million vehicles that are affected by the thefts and eligible for the upgrade.
Most recent Police & Courts stories
Related topics
Cassidy Wixom
