Minnesota woman is denied car insurance by State Farm because of critical design error in the make and model of her car

A Minnesota woman has revealed really aggregate car insurers person denied her sum - because of nan circumstantial make and exemplary of her vehicle.

State Farm and Progressive some told Erin Walters they won't connection her security connected her 2019 bluish Hyundai because of 'high theft rates' associated pinch nan car. 

Thieves target nan exemplary owed to its deficiency of an immobilization system, which makes it easy to steal. 

After being a loyal State Farm customer for 5 years, Walters tried to renew her argumentation past week only to beryllium rejected.

'I was shocked that State Farm was denying me,' she told WCCO News.  She added that she would ne'er person bought nan Hyundai had she been alert of nan issue. 

She is now urging Hyundai to rumor a callback of nan vehicles and instal anti-theft software.

State Farm released a connection to WCCO explaining successful much item why Walters and different customers won't beryllium getting sum for definite Hyundai and Kia models, another car marque that's prone to theft.

'State Farm has stopped accepting caller customer applications successful immoderate states for definite exemplary years and trim levels of Hyundai and Kia vehicles because theft losses for these vehicles person accrued dramatically. This is simply a superior problem impacting our customers and nan full car security industry,' a spokesperson said.

'We return earnestly our work to negociate consequence and nan effect of excess declare costs connected each our customers. In this case, it became basal to return action to protect our policyholders and our business.'

Walters was initially happy pinch her car arsenic it was nan first clip she had been capable to bargain a caller conveyance successful 30 years.

But now that she can't thrust it without breaking nan law.

Between 2011 and 2021, astir 10 cardinal Kia and Hyundai cars sold successful nan US were not equipped pinch immobilizers and could truthful beryllium started easy and primitively pinch conscionable a level caput screwdriver and a USB cable.

Once a thief pulls disconnected nan integrative steering file shroud, they tin past rip retired nan keyed ignition tube and usage nan extremity of a USB cablegram to rotate a quadrate tab and commencement nan car. The cablegram is not utilized to transportation immoderate data.

Since there's nary immobilizer, location is thing to extremity nan car from past firing up.

Because of this captious creation flaw, videos showing teenage vandals breaking into these cars and driving disconnected pinch them person gone viral.

The arena is truthful communal that they're now referred to arsenic 'Kia Boys,' and these carjackings by inexperienced, thrill-seeking drivers often person deadly consequences.

In 2022, four teenagers including a 14-year-old mother were killed after a stolen Kia Sportage was collapsed successful Buffalo, New York. 

For Walters, each of this intends she has to walk 4 hours a time astatine minimum searching for a institution that will insure her car.

'I've ne'er cried complete a car before,' she said. 

When she tried to get insured pinch Progressive, it excessively said her car was uninsurable.

'Thank you for shopping pinch Progressive - based connected conveyance accusation we are incapable to connection you a argumentation owed to precocious theft rates,' nan institution told her erstwhile she applied.

State Farm has antecedently declared 105 Kia and Hyundai models 'ineligible' for insurance because of nan precocious complaint of carjackings.