KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) – The country’s top two insurance agencies are reportedly removing insurance coverage for some Kias and Hyundais as vehicle thefts are rampant across the country.
Kent County is no exception in the new year.
When Cyndi Christian bought her brand new Kia in 2020, she didn’t think for a long time that she would need to buy another car. She wishes she had made a different decision now, she.
“I just wanted it to be my car forever,” Christian said.
Instead, it was a nightmare.
“I don’t want it anymore,” he said.
Not just once, but twice now, Christian’s 2019 Kia Optima has been stolen from the front of his old apartment complex in Kentwood. Someone tried to steal it a third time.
It all started in July of last year when someone smashed the rear window and removed the steering column, but the car was not stolen in the end. Still had to take it for repair and got it back a month later.
His car was towed at midnight in August.
“I don’t want to get up in the morning and drive my car,” Christian said.
When he went to the rental manager the next morning, he realized that he was not the only manager.
“While I was there, there were two or three other people who reported their car stolen that same night,” Christian said. kias.
He got the car back in October before it was stolen again the following month. On both occasions, the car was thrown into the trash, its windows were broken, wood scrapers were spilled all over the roof, and the doors were damaged. The vehicle was licensed on both occasions.
Christian paid more than $1,500 for the repairs.
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His car has been stolen twice, trashed, his windows broken, wood scrapers spilled all over the roof, and his doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
His car has been stolen twice, trashed, his windows broken, wood scrapers spilled all over the roof, and his doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
His car has been stolen twice, trashed, his windows broken, wood scrapers spilled all over the roof, and his doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
His car has been stolen twice, trashed, his windows broken, wood scrapers spilled all over the roof, and his doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
His car has been stolen twice, trashed, his windows broken, wood scrapers spilled all over the roof, and his doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
His car has been stolen twice, trashed, his windows broken, wood scrapers spilled all over the roof, and his doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
His car has been stolen twice, trashed, his windows broken, wood scrapers spilled all over the roof, and his doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian)
“If I want to go to the brand, if I want to go to the mall, hopefully I’ll be very careful about where I park to make sure I’m under a light with a camera,” Christian said. “It’s not possible to live in such a way that you have to constantly think about it.”
Now, he’s about to lose his insurance. Last week, Progressive sent him a letter saying his policy will expire on February 2. 19.
“I don’t want car money,” Christian said. “But if I don’t have an insurance company to protect me, I have no choice.”
He’s not the only one who lost his insurance. Progressive and State Farm have now reported stopped issuing new insurance policies for some Kias and Hyundais models, referring to thefts that are common across the country.
State Farm confirmed the news in a statement to News 8, saying that “action has become necessary to protect our policyholders and our business.”
“State Farm has temporarily stopped accepting new customer applications for certain model years and trim levels of Hyundai and Kia vehicles in some states because theft losses for these vehicles have increased significantly. This is a serious issue affecting both our customers and the entire automobile insurance industry.
“We take our responsibility to manage risk and the impact of excess claim costs on all of our customers seriously. In this situation, it has become necessary to take action to protect our policyholders and our business.
“We are monitoring this situation very closely and will adjust our approach accordingly.
For information about car theft, Insurance Information Institute and National Insurance Crime Bureau”
state farm
State Farm said it does this “in some states,” but didn’t say whether Michigan was involved or which models were affected.
News 8 reached out to State Farm and Progressive and asked if Michigan was affected by the changes made by both companies.
Brian Boer, a consultant at Boer Insurance Group in Plainfield Township, said it was particularly unusual for large insurance companies to make such a move.
“Some of the regional, smaller insurance companies are trying to niche themselves a little bit,” Boer said. “But for two big companies like this, it’s very unusual.”
“You’ll see the insurance companies say, ‘I don’t want to insure that kind of Lamborghini, we’re not going to insure that Maserati,'” Boer said. “It’s not their market. They’re not going for high-end luxury vehicles. But for everyday vehicles like Kias and Hyundai, it’s very unusual for insurance companies to just hit the brakes and say, ‘We don’t offer forward insurance.'”
Insurance companies that still cover Kias and Hyundais could raise prices, Boer said.
“They will see increased insurance costs specific to these vehicles based on all claims paid,” Boer said. “Even the companies that still insure these vehicles, wherever more compensation is paid, that money has to come from somewhere. It will reflect on that vehicle’s insurance cost.”
Kia and Hyundai thefts in Kent County are also high in the new year.
This month, the Grand Rapids Police Department responded to 109 vehicle thefts or attempted thefts, nearly half of which were Kias and Hyundai. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office has dealt with 41 stolen cars so far this month, 12 of which are Kias or Hyundai.
In 2022, the GRPD dealt with a total of 1,316 vehicle thefts, 765 of which involved Kias or Hyundais. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office dealt with 415 stolen vehicles, of which 112 were Kias or Hyundais.
“Frustrated by being so angry, then I’m sad,” Christian said. “Because I can handle it. But there are probably people who can’t take care of it if their car gets stolen. Or if they can’t pay the exemption. Or they don’t have renter insurance or rental car insurance. I try to count myself lucky to be able to take care of that, but it still drives me crazy.”
