The City of Syracuse has seen 1,000 vehicle thefts this year — mainly targeting Hyundai and Kia cars. The Syracuse Police Department is teaming up with Matthews Hyundai of Syracuse for an anti-theft software upgrade event.
The software update for affected Hyundai models upgrades the "turn-key-to-start" ignitions so they cannot be started without the key.
Syracuse Police Spokesperson Lt. Matthew Malinowski said in addition to always locking your doors and windows, you could invest in a steering wheel bar for extra precaution. But he said the software upgrade is the best way to keep your car safe from theft.
"Check your vehicle on the Hyundai or Kids website to see if it's affected," Malinowski said. "If it is, you got to go get the update. There's no other way around it. We're really trying to work with our partners to get the messaging out. But, you know, if you decide to willingly not get it updated, just don't be too surprised if your vehicle gets stolen because we've been trying to give people a solution to the problem."
The Matthews Hyundai of Syracuse anti-theft upgrade event is every day this week between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. No appointment is needed.
Affected Hyundai Vehicles:
- 2018-2022 Accent
- 2011-2022 Elantra
- 2013-2020 Elantra GT
- 2013-2014 Genesis Coupe
- 2018-2022 Kona
- 2020-2021 Palisade
- 2013-2022 Santa Fe
- 2013-2018 Santa Fe Sport
- 2019 Santa Fe XL
- 2011-2019 Sonata
- 2011-2022 Tucson
- 2012-2017 & 2019-2021 Veloster
- 2020-2021 Venue
