ST. LOUIS – Major news Wednesday morning on preventing the thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles. The carmakers are developing a software solution to help combat the problem.

The thefts of Hyundais and Kias have become a major issue in St. Louis and around the country. The vehicles being stolen at alarming rates. The hope now is that this fix can help slow down the thefts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is announcing that Hyundai and Kia have developed theft deterrent software and will provide it free to vehicle owners. The software is for millions of Hyundais and Kias which lack a common security device that makes the cars easier to steal. That device is called an engine immobilizer.

Officials said the solution updates the theft alarm software to extend the length of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute, and it requires the key to be in the ignition to turn the vehicle on. The troubling trend of stolen Hyundais and Kias started with a viral TikTok video showing how to break into and drive off in many 2011 to 2021 models of the vehicles.

Authorities shared that about 3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias will be eligible for the software update.

We’re told some Hyundai models are already eligible for the upgrade, while several other models will become eligible in June.

Figures from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch showed the dramatic increase in stolen Hyundais and Kias in the area. Thefts of Kias and Hyundais jumped 1,450% last year from 273 to 3,958 after the TikTok video came out. In St. Louis County, the jump was 1,157% from 140 to 1,621.