Hyundai is now offering an optional paid security and software upgrade for Ioniq 5 models, preventing them from being stolen with handheld tools.
The company wants vehicle owners to pay £49 (around $78 CAD) to upgrade software and security components that will prevent them from being stolen by devices that abuse flaws in Hyundai’s own security systems.
These devices, designed to resemble a Nintendo Game Boy, have been widely used since 2020 as tools in vehicle thefts, working on several cars that use keyless entry systems.
Kia, Hyundai, Nissan, and Mitsubishi vehicles were considered especially vulnerable to these tools, with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia’s EV6 models being among the top 20 cars most likely to be stolen.
Hyundai has now released a fix for this security issue, but is locking it behind a price tag. Vehicle owners will now need to pay the price to protect their cars against an issue in Hyundai’s security system. This is strange, considering Hyundai vehicles should all come with a five-year warranty.
Though this security upgrade is currently only available in the U.K., Hyundai Ioniq 5 owners can check their vehicles’ eligibility for the upgrade here.
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