KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) — Two of the nation’s top insurance agencies are reportedly dropping coverage on some Kia’s and Hyundai’s as car thefts remain rampant across the country.
Kent County is no exception in the new year.
When Cyndi Christian bought her new Kia in 2020, she didn’t think she’d have to buy another car for a long time. Now, she wishes she had made a different choice.
“I just wanted it to be my car forever,” Christian said.
Instead, it has been a nightmare.
“I don’t want it now,” he said.
Not just once, but twice, Christian’s 2019 Kia Optima has been stolen outside his former apartment complex in Kentwood. Someone also tried to steal it for the third time.
It all started in July of last year when someone broke the rear window and removed the steering column, but in the end the car was not stolen. He still had to take it in for repairs and got it back a month later.
In August, his car was hijacked in the middle of the night.
“I don’t want to wake up in the morning and have my car gone,” Christian said.
When she went to see her leasing manager the next morning, she discovered she wasn’t the only one.
“When I was there, there were two or three other people who reported that their car was stolen that same night,” Christian said. “Kías”.
He got the car back in October before it was stolen again the following month. Both times, the car was totaled, with windows smashed, wood stripper spilled all over the roof, and doors damaged. Vehicle registration was also taken on both occasions.
Christian paid more than $1,500 for the repairs.
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Both times her car was stolen, it was vandalized, with windows smashed, wood stripper spilled all over the roof, and doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
Both times her car was stolen, it was vandalized, with windows smashed, wood stripper spilled all over the roof, and doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
Both times her car was stolen, it was vandalized, with windows smashed, wood stripper spilled all over the roof, and doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
Both times her car was stolen, it was vandalized, with windows smashed, wood stripper spilled all over the roof, and doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
Both times her car was stolen, it was vandalized, with windows smashed, wood stripper spilled all over the roof, and doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
Both times her car was stolen, it was vandalized, with windows smashed, wood stripper spilled all over the roof, and doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian) -
Both times her car was stolen, it was vandalized, with windows smashed, wood stripper spilled all over the roof, and doors damaged. (Courtesy of Cyndi Christian)
“If I want to go to the grocery store, if I want to go to the mall, I’m very careful where I park to make sure I’m under a light that has a camera on it,” Christian said. “It’s no way to live having to think about it all the time.”
Now, you are about to lose your insurance. Last week, Progressive sent him a letter saying his policy will expire on February 2. nighteen.
“I don’t want a car payment,” Christian said. “But I don’t have a choice if I don’t have an insurance company that covers me.”
She’s not the only one who loses insurance. Progressive and State Farms have reportedly stopped issuing new insurance policies for certain models of Kias and Hyundais, citing rampant thefts across the country.
State Farm confirmed the news in a statement to News 8, saying that “steps have become necessary to protect our policyholders and our business.”
“State Farm has temporarily stopped accepting applications from new customers in some states for certain model years and trim levels of Hyundai and Kia vehicles because theft losses from these vehicles have increased dramatically. This is a serious issue that affects our customers and the entire auto insurance industry.
“We take seriously our responsibility to manage risk and the impact of excessive claims costs on all of our clients. In this case, it became necessary to take steps to protect our policyholders and our business.
“We are monitoring this situation very closely and will adjust our approach accordingly.
For information on auto theft, we recommend that you contact the Insurance Information Institute and the National Insurance Crime Office.”
state farm
State Farm said it is doing this in “some states,” but did not say whether Michigan is included or which models will be affected.
News 8 has reached out to State Farm and Progressive to ask if Michigan is affected by the changes both companies are making.
Brian Boer, a consultant with Boer Insurance Group in Plainfield Township, said large insurance companies making a move like that are particularly rare.
“Some of the smaller insurance companies in the region are trying to carve out a bit more of a niche,” Boer said. “But for two big companies like that, that’s very unusual.”
“You’ll see insurance companies say, ‘I don’t want to insure that type of Lamborghini, we’re not going to insure that Maserati,’” Boer added. “That is not their market. They don’t go for the high-end luxury vehicles. But for the type of everyday vehicle like the Kias and Hyundais that we’re hearing about, it’s very unusual to see insurance companies hit the brakes and say, ‘We’re not offering coverage in the future.'”
Boer said the insurance companies that still cover Kias and Hyundais could still raise prices.
“You’re going to see an increase in insurance costs specific to those vehicles based on all the claims that are being paid,” Boer said. “Even the companies that still offer coverage for those vehicles, anywhere more claims are paid, that money has to come from somewhere. It will be reflected in the insurance costs of that vehicle.”
In Kent County, Kia and Hyundai thefts remain high in the new year.
This month, the Grand Rapids Police Department responded to 109 thefts or attempted thefts of vehicles, nearly half of them Kias and Hyundais. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office has dealt with 41 stolen cars so far this month, 12 of them are Kias or Hyundais.
In 2022, GRPD responded to 1,316 total vehicle thefts, with 765 of them involving Kias or Hyundais. The Kent County Sheriff’s Office dealt with 415 stolen vehicles, of which 112 were Kias or Hyundais.
“I went from being so angry to frustrated to sad,” Christian said. “Because I can take care of him. But there are probably people who can’t take care of it if their car is stolen. Or if they can’t pay the deductible. Or you do not have renter’s insurance or rental car insurance. I try to consider myself lucky to be able to take care of him, but it still makes me angry.”
