Kia must know the SIM connection number, I would have thought as soon as it connects aga it could be located.

 

Contacted Kia but they will only provide information on the last location of the car to the police if requested. But average response time by the police from the car being reported stolen is 48h according to the automated police email I received, so by the time they look into it the thieves are probably done disabling any tracker or security device.

 

What a sad response. Vodaphone should be able to tell the police exactly where the car is exactly the same as a mobile phone.

 

Thanks for the sympathy, mate, what a crap experience. Police have been dealing with funding cuts for a long time now, but thought Kia could have done better. But hey, a lesson in not getting attached to "things". Anyways, life moves on.

 

I’ve actually secreted an Apple AirTag in a secure position in the engine compartment and disabled the speaker so it won’t alert anyone to it‘s presence.
I know it’s not an actual tracker, but it might give me a heads up to its whereabouts soon after it had gone missing before the tag could be found.

 

Sadly this is indicative of our public services, it's hard to blame Kia. If there were more police around, response times would be better and we'd have more visible on the streets.
Plus, Connect is not a tracker, it's an owner convenience. Kia can't give out information without stringent checks, so they only do it for police requests. If the police aren't rushing, Kia won't either.

 

Sorry to hear this , i put thread on recently about using steering wheel clamps to deter thieves and few came back with yep ,its a done thing now in london ,went in car park and 7/10 cars had one fitted .

 

Sorry to hear this.
Connect is not a security measure.

Perhaps avoid thee then.
Top 10 stolen

The most stolen cars in the UK

Seven cars were stolen every hour, according to the latest figures from the DVLA. But which models are most popular with thieves?

www.whatcar.com

REVEALED: UK’s most stolen EVs and how to keep yours safe!

New data has revealed the ten most stolen EVs in the UK over the last five years, with Nissan Leaf's topping the list.

evpowered.co.uk

I take it Op is referring to this

Kia Niro was most stolen battery electric vehicle in UK last year

Research by Leasing Options Kia Niro was the most stolen battery electric vehicle in the UK last year, research by Leasing Options has found.

www.fleetnews.co.uk

 

Hi if you had the car in valet mode would that of stop them from deregister the car from Kia Connect app

 

My sons got my car parked at Gatwick with valet parking ,sent me msg car is in valet mode had no idea what he meant , so off to google it right now .

 

WIth the convenience access option one has to have the smart key quite close to the car for it to be recognised.

However, if one uses the control on the fob the range at which it will work is quite surprising, even through several walls, etc.

So presumably if the thieves have some sort of suitable scanner on a mobile device looking for signals from fobs or with some way to induce such signals access might be easy to obtain. They wouoldl then need to fool the car into thinking that there was a key present but I guess that's not so difficult either.

Multi-level security layers would be an option but, realistically, users hate being asked to enter security codes if they have "the key".

Just make sure not to get a Landrover as a replacement.

 

Google Kia thefts Gameboy method. The thieves don't need the key or fob if keyless entry is enabled.
The man in the middle attack you mention is a bit hit and miss and still requires a way to start the car. I think it was popular in the 90's when there was a physical ignition barrel.

 

Range rovers are uninsurable in london so iam seeing on youtube ,prices have fallen , you can by them for peanuts .

 

18 days later and the police have still not assigned my case to a local department as promised, nor have they asked Kia for GPS tracking. But hey, at least I got two automated emails and a letter suggesting how to deal with grief after being a victim of crime.

What makes it even more frustrating is that there are simple procedures police could have employed. If a car is registered stolen, it apparently gets instantly added to the stolen vehicle database and picked up by traffic control and police cameras. As the police have full access to my vehicle specs through the registered numberplate, why wouldn’t they have an automated agreement with Kia giving them instant access to live GPS data, enabling them to potentially catch the thieves red handed? It is not rocket-science, but highlights how little the police actually care about vehicle theft.

Between 2019-2022 only 6.7% of vehicle thefts lead to a conviction (RAC report). With those numbers it's a no brainer for organised crime. Police are either incompetent or just don't care as the insurance will covers the costs. But insurers of course base their premiums on risk factors, with the general public picking up the bill through higher insurance premiums. Basically, we pay a hidden police incompetence tax while funding organised crime. Amazing!

Just 6.7% of car thefts result in a conviction | RAC Drive

According to a new report that has analysed police data, there is currently only a 6.7% chance of a car thief being caught.

www.rac.co.uk

 

18 days later and the police have still not assigned my case to a local department as promised, nor have they asked Kia for GPS tracking. But hey, at least I got two automated emails and a letter suggesting how to deal with grief after being a victim of crime.

What makes it even more frustrating is that there are simple procedures police could have employed. If a car is registered stolen, it apparently gets instantly added to the stolen vehicle database and picked up by traffic control and police cameras. As the police have full access to my vehicle specs through the registered numberplate, why wouldn’t they have an automated agreement with Kia giving them instant access to live GPS data, enabling them to potentially catch the thieves red handed? It is not rocket-science, but highlights how little the police actually care about vehicle theft.

Between 2019-2022 only 6.7% of vehicle thefts lead to a conviction (RAC report). With those numbers it's a no brainer for organised crime. Police are either incompetent or just don't care as the insurance will covers the costs. But insurers of course base their premiums on risk factors, with the general public picking up the bill through higher insurance premiums. Basically, we pay a hidden police incompetence tax while funding organised crime. Amazing!

Just 6.7% of car thefts result in a conviction | RAC Drive

According to a new report that has analysed police data, there is currently only a 6.7% chance of a car thief being caught.

www.rac.co.uk

Kia's system is not a tracking system. Kia do not monitor this 24/7 or at anytime unlike the tracking co's. Which is why you pay extra for these companies.
I hope you did not declare you had tracking system, as Ins will not be happy, as you do not. Worst case void insurance & not payout 🤢

Given you have the connect app, can you see where the car is. If not see below...

You also need to be aware it is easy (only a couple of clicks on head unit) & your connect account is deleted.

 

I understand it is not a tracking system, but capable of locating the car if needed. Kia customer support said they could do this, but only for the police.
My insurance is surprisingly helpful with their evaluation based on the current market price, which is more than I originally paid.

 

I understand the first thing the thieves do is remove Kia Connect, I was wondering if you have the car in Valet mode would that prevent them from altering settings.

 

It doesn't make any difference what they do. The SIM card is in the ECU and you can't change that. The mobile provider can log it no matter what you change.

 

Sorry about your car. My Niro was stolen last week in under 25 seconds, all on CCTV but not heard a thing back from the police and it's been 9 days. So not much chance of finding it now I'm guessing. It's a disgrace that the thieves can deregister from Kia connect. Feel your pain Will never buy Kia again, I've heard of so many neighbours (In London) Kia's being stolen, obviously for a reason.

 

Not as many as range rovers

 

Or Defenders, or numerous other cars.
Problem is people only see the name of their manufacturer and ignore the rest.

 

This is the first I’ve heard. Everywhere I read, it’s Ford Fiesta at the top of the list with Range Rover a few spots down. I think my Niro is safer as it has the best security measure. i.e. ‘Non-Keyless Entry’! Exactly what I wanted due to recent news about the ease of keyless car theft. If it had keyless, I’d have rejected it on the spot.

Sorry to hear about everyone with their stolen Kias The manufacturers should be banned from making them if they can’t be secured properly or made to replace them.

Here’s a ranking…. Don’t know where the article saying kia is at the top is getting its stats from. This one ranks cars so surely includes electric and hybrid

Most Stolen Car in the UK Betting Odds: Ford Fiesta EVENS to remain top of the most stolen car list in the UK across 2024 after topping 2023 charts!

The Ford Fiesta is favourite to once again be the most stolen car in the UK in 2024 with the latest odds giving it a 50% chance of doing so!...

www.olbg.com

.

 

Anyone got experience of the S7 and S5 trackers? Any clue as to why the S5 EV version is 4x the price of the standard one? Does the basic S5 work ok with the Niro EV?

 

Not sure I would want to put a std on a EV as the risk of a flat 12V is too much.

Personally visible physical security is as effective & a lot cheaper.

 

The same thing happened to us this year in October 2024. We thought they had used our key signal but our spare was in a metal container and the other key was surrounded by metal bits of equipment some distance from our front door. I didn’t know they could use a software breach to steal the car until I spoke with a Kia dealer. Likewise, I only realised it had been taken after my Kia connect message informed me that the car had been disconnected but at that point it was already gone. No further word from the police after being given an incident number, everyone was very nice, the insurance agent too, and those representing the PCP, but it is so frustrating that Kia didn’t at least let us know that there was a problem and advised us to get a wheel lock!

 

Hi & welcome.

This is a widely known exploit that effects all cars.

Not sure why people expect manufacture to warn them. Personal responsibility is at play here.
We used to use steering locks back in 1970's & 80's.