AMHERST, N.Y. — The theft of KIA and Hyundai cars has really frustrated car owners and police in recent weeks and months.
KIA made a good-will gesture with a locking device distribution effort through some Western New York police departments. But 2 On Your Side found out some car theft victims are still feeling the pain.
Some West Seneca residents who met the qualifications as impacted KIA car owners walked out of the police station in that community with 24 of the steering wheel-pedal locking devices in hand.
That was also the scene at Amherst Police Department after KIA sent a shipment of 108 to police there. That is because of the uproar over that social media video posting which shows thieves, some of them very young, how to steal the vehicles.
Police say 2011 though 2022 KIAs and Hyundai cars with key ignitions and without engine immobilizer anti-theft devices are definitely targets. And then of course we saw the tragedy as four Buffalo teenagers recently died in the crash of a stolen KIA on the 33 Expressway.
So police well understand the concerns for worried KIA owners. Amherst Police Lieutenant John Miller told 2 on Your Side: "They feel victimized, and they want to have some sort of resolution. Again, is this a permanent solution? We don't know. KIA I'm sure is working on something.
"But again that's in their realm. But yes, we had a woman who came in today that had an active complaint number because her car is in the shop getting fixed right now, so she wanted one. So we're doing the best we can to provide them to everybody that needs them."
That referenced lady is Judy Montague, who told us her KIA was stolen from the driveway of her Amherst home. She noted "you become a victim."
Buffalo Police found her stolen car and arrested suspects. Montague says she actually paid two city fees to get it back from the City Impound Lot on Dart Street.
And as for her recovered car: "The interior was very dirty. It had a lot of empty whiskey and beer bottles. And of course the ignition was gone."
She says the car was towed from the lot to a repair shop and she had to arrange for rental cars in the meantime in part through her insurance.
"That's gone on for over two months now, and supposedly I'm supposed to get it at the end of this week or the beginning of next week," Montague said. "I'm paying for some of it. The insurance covered some of it. This is actually my second rental car cause they don't give you one for that long of a time."
Various reports show that insurance companies will pay some costs for theft of a car but usually there is some deductible involved for the affected owner.
As we have shown you other KIA owners in Buffalo had their cars wrecked and the company is being sued in class action lawsuits. There have been similar complaints about some Hyundai vehicles.
The city of Columbus, Ohio is actually suing KIA and Hyundai because of the surprising number of stolen vehicles in their community made by those companies.
As for Judy Montague she is waiting to get her KIA back. But she says she with a dejected but determined sigh that she may not keep it and may try to buy another make of car. "It was a nice car for me.
Reporter: But not now?
Montague said: "Not now. And I just feel bad for all the people that I heard have had the same experience."
In a previous report Kia said it would not comment on pending litigation. But the company did say it would send out the lock devices to any police department which wanted to distribute them.
Amherst Police who handed out their entire shipment of 108 say they may request more from Kia to give out but were not sure when or if they would get them. We are not aware if Hyundai had made a similar gesture with these locking devices.
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