New Bluetooth device aims to prevent rise in Kia and Hyundai thefts - KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – As the fig of stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles has increased, caller exertion is trying to deter thieves earlier they bargain your vehicle.

With conscionable a property of a button, a caller instrumentality called the “Bluetooth Interrupter” stops thieves successful their tracks.

“You tin bash this each time long, but you cannot commencement the car,” said Elliot Silk, services manager for Suntrup Kia and Hyundai.

The always-on cardinal connects to Bluetooth wiring successful the car that is designed to forestall theft.

“It’s 1 happening to regenerate the solid and the steering column, it’s the different happening if radical person a 2013,” Silk said. “They person to bargain a full caller car due to the fact that their car was totaled out, and that’s what I’m preventing.”

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, car thefts successful the metropolis person accrued from 3,596 to 6,661 compared to 2021. Of those, 3,643 person been reported arsenic Kia and Hyundai thefts, which is much than past year’s full combined.

“As this catches connected and much radical support calling america and installing, it’s going to chopped down connected thefts,” Silk said.

Suntrup technicians person installed the exertion successful cars for much than 100 customers frankincense far. The installation costs $200 and tin beryllium utilized connected immoderate marque and exemplary car.

“It seems we’re storing much of them than we tin really hole them,” said Jeff Sonntag, work manager astatine Wicke Auto Service and Body Co.

Sonntag has been fixing cars for implicit 20 years astatine the store successful the Central West End.

A fewer months ago, the car repair store would beryllium packed with stolen Kias and Hyundais being worked on. Now, determination is lone 1 Kia astatine the store due to the fact that the request for repairs outweighs the proviso of parts.

“We get calls each day,” Sonntag said. “I conscionable enactment them connected a database and accidental I’ll effort and telephone you and see, but I person yet to ever deed that database due to the fact that determination are nary parts retired there. There’s nothing.”

Although Sonntag believes the interrupter is simply a large help, helium noted that betwixt the pandemic and proviso concatenation slowdown, helium sees nary extremity successful show for the backlog of cars waiting to beryllium fixed, if they are ever adjacent recovered.

The anticipation is that with caller technology, much thieves volition deliberation doubly earlier different car ends up successful a shop.

To larn much astir the caller device, click here.