Kia And Hyundai Owners: 10 Million Cars Recalled For Theft And Fire Hazards

If you own a Kia or Hyundai, then you may want to check and see if your vehicle is currently under a recall notification. Beginning in the summer of 2022, viral video challenges on Tik Tok and YouTube displayed how easy it was to steal one of these cars. Now, the federal government has stepped in to urge the two Korean automakers to issue recalls fixing this problem. Therefore, the Kia and Hyundai recall of approximately 10 million vehicles on the roads in the U.S.A. is underway.

The viral video challenges show how you can steal a Kia or Hyundai vehicle in minutes. According to an article by David Straughan on Automoblog.com, it was started by a group who call themselves “The Kia Boyz.” Subsequently, it was popularized by Tommy G on YouTube. More viral videos show similar ways to steal Hyundais.

The result? Rampant theft of Kia and Hyundai vehicles. Other consequences include “property damage, injuries, and even death associated with these thefts.” Additionally, the increase in reports of stolen vehicles has put a tremendous strain on law enforcement.

In general, the problem with many Kia and Hyundai vehicles is that they lack immobilizers. Basically, per Straughan’s article, an immobilizer is a type of “kill switch.” It prevents the vehicle from starting “with anything other than a key that corresponds to a chip inside the ignition system.” Unfortunately, only 26% of Kias and Hyundais have immobilizer equipment.

The Automoblog.com article goes on to state that approximately 8.3 million Kias and Hyundais are under recall in order to perform a software update. Basically, the software update effectively installs an immobilizer and “upgrades the vehicles’ alarm system logic.”

In general, your recall appointment can take anywhere from one to two hours. Once completed, your car will be equipped with a sticker. This will show potential thieves that your vehicle now has anti-theft equipment.

In addition, another 1.7 million Kia and Hyundai cars are under recall due to a dangerous fire hazard. Evidently, the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) in certain models may cause an “engine compartment fire.” Per Straughan’s article, owners eligible for this recall should receive a notification letter in the mail around November 14^th.

In order to find out if your Hyundai is eligible for either recall, you can click here. Or phone their customer service line at 1-855-671-3059. Similarly, if you own a Kia, you can click here to find out if your model is eligible for either recall. Or phone Kia Consumer Affairs at 1-800-333-4542.

Three-day holiday weekends are a great time to travel. Before you rev her up, you may want to download some road trip apps that will give you a smoother ride for the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend.

According to AAA.com, more than half of Americans surveyed will be traveling during the upcoming Labor Day Weekend. Comparatively, last year saw 53% of Americans with travel plans for this holiday weekend. This year, that number is up by 4% for domestic travelers. Furthermore, AAA.com reports international destination travel is up by a whopping 44%

So, where is everybody going? As an illustration, Aixa Diaz’s article on AAA.com lists Seattle, Orlando, Anchorage, New York, and Las Vegas as the top 5 domestic destinations.

Generally, I would say it’s a good bet that Seattle and Anchorage are on that list due to the fact that they’re perfect starting points for ocean cruises. Moreover, it’s good to see Las Vegas making the list since our city depends on tourist visitation.

Undoubtedly, we Americans can plan a road trip without the use of apps. We were traveling in cars for about a hundred years before the smart phone was invented. However, nowadays, why not make good use of the incredible apps that are out there?

Specifically, these applications should help you avoid traffic delays. Additionally, you can plan your restroom breaks and fuel stops. They can help you budget your fuel costs. Plus, whenever we hit the road in our car, we love to explore some destinations that are off the beaten path. It’s a long weekend, why not take advantage of the extra time to explore?

So, download whichever apps you think you may be able to put to good use on your next road trip. Here are five road trip apps which will help make it a much smoother ride. Oh yeah, don’t miss the perfect app for your road trip music playlist at the bottom of the list.

Where are we going?  What are we going to do when we get there?  Are we just hittin’ the road and hoping to take some mini-adventures? These are the questions you ask yourself when planning a road trip. Roadtrippers.com  helps you get from point A to point B, and according to their website: “Discover the most incredible people, places and experiences worth a detour.”

https://roadtrippers.com/

Seems like everywhere we go nowadays, there’s traffic…and lots of it! One of the most popular apps to help you avoid traffic tie-ups is Waze.com. According to their website, this tool was created in 2009 “as a crowd-sourced navigation app” which can help us all avoid speed traps (we recommend you NEVER go over the speed limit), construction tie-ups, accidents, and road hazards, by working together as a traveling community.

https://www.waze.com/apps/

Gas prices are higher than $4 bucks per gallon in our region, and expected to go higher during hurricane season. It would be good to know where you can fill up during your trip. Plus, you'll want to know much it will cost BEFORE you hit the road. You have to make sure this trip fits into your budget with no surprises. One of the most popular apps that can help you with this is GasBuddy.com.

https://www.gasbuddy.com/app

It was an article I received from FixdApp.com by Kate McKnight which inspired me to write this post, and I have taken most of her app recommendations to list here for you. I don’t know a lot about cars and how to repair them. And now that most cars are run by computers, I know even less. It seems like most places charge you $100-$200 dollars to do a diagnostic test just to tell you what’s wrong with your vehicle. They load the repair cost on top of that! This tool and app is very easy to use (I purchased one recently. I was not paid for this recommendation), and it will tell you what is wrong with your vehicle and how much you can expect to be charged before you take it in to the repair shop.

https://www.fixd.com/

Every road trip needs an awesome music playlist. But putting one together can take hours. So, leave that to us here at 96.3 KKLZ! You can listen to a great variety of "Hits from the 80s, 90s, and More" every place you travel in the U.S.A. If you haven't done so already, just down load our free app and take us with you everywhere you go. "Road Trip!!"

https://963kklz.com/download-the-96-3-kklz-app-take-us-on-the-go-get-exclusive-offers/

Larry Martino is the long-time afternoon drive personality on 96.3 KKLZ. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of Larry Martino and not necessarily those of Beasley Media Group, LLC.

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