And as long as the battery works in the fob, you’re ok.
Also you MUST lock the door with the fob to activate it.
As a result, locking the doors with the key fob will set the factory alarm and activate an “ignition kill” feature so the vehicles cannot be started when subjected to the popularized theft mode. Customers must use the key fob to unlock their vehicles to deactivate the “ignition kill” feature
Typically if the alarm is set and a door is opened without using the remote, the alarm will sound, turning the ignition to the run position will deactivate the alarm.
Hyundai’s bandage on the problem is to eliminate that disarm feature, what could go wrong? 100 miles from home and damage the remote; call a tow truck.
I hear there is also a factory retrofit to push button ignition that fixes this as well. I guess that is the correct way to do this. Later model used cars are done at the dealer but I guess those not buying a used one at a dealer have to pay for this. I guess the free option has a few drawbacks such as if the battery in the fob dies or the fob gets damaged or lost.
Basically you have a transmitter fob with the push button version and the car starts if the fob is close enough to send a signal.
And if you’re 100 miles from home and you damage the “chip” key for an immobilizer?
I’m betting if the insurance industry had not put the screws to their ability to sell new cars, nothing would have been done to correct the situation.
Wondering what the usb port is used for. Damaging the port say by crushing the end with a pair of pliers would prevent someone from hooking into it. I do not know if there would be a downside to doing this,
It’s not a new problem!
Turns out stealing these cars is a TikTok challenge. It isn’t clear whether TikTok has removed the challenge or not. The challenge has been out there at least since last September.
Tik Tok is producing such wonderful content for US followers… NOT! 
In addition to inducing people to engage in Grand Larceny, they are also urging people to engage in some dangerous athletic pursuits.
Not only rik tok, took a look ad vids about how to do it where I came up with the idea of how to crap the usb plug, Just takes a powered usb plug in.
This is the problem with social media. Blatantly illegal activity and scams of all kinds are being pitched and the platforms do nothing about it because they profit! For scams, high value items like cars are often “given” away for stupid reasons like liking or commenting on the post (LIKE FARMING) and those who fall for it pay in advance several thousands of dollars and get nothing in return (ADVANCE FEE FRAUD -Think Nigerian Prince scams). Many of these pages have been around for years, just ripping people off. You can report them to Facebook, etc. and nothing gets done about them.
I had a friend (now deceased) who frequently forwarded things to me (from Fakebook and other sources) telling me that “Microsoft is testing its software, and every time you copy this and forward it, you will get $500”.
No matter how many times I told her that this stuff was all bogus, she still seemed to believe those lies, and as you might have guessed she wound up with a constant stream of viruses on her computer. She wasn’t a stupid person, but she fell for those dangerous scams all the time.
It’s not a USB port,
It just so happens that a USB plug is the right size to fit in the hole where the average thief would use a screwdriver.
A lot of people leave their phone chargers in the car, or thumb drive, the USB plug on the end of it is convenient for the thief to use to turn the switch.
It does look as though they’ve learned their lesson, Hyundai Kia says every one of their cars will now come standard with a theft immobilizer.
They are only 20 years behind the auto industry with security measures. My 2000 Dodge Neon has an immobilizer system.
Turns out H/Ks “fix” needs fixing! 
Ignition isn’t immobilized until a door is opened after locking with the fob.
A thief can break a window (without setting off the alarm), crawl in, break the ignition, and start it, as long as they don’t open a door.
It should be set up so that when the car is locked with the fob, ignition is disabled until you unlock the doors with the fob, period.
I’m hoping they work it out before my Tucson is eligible in June.
I just assumed we were like most countries and that it was required by law.
Makes me wonder what else Kia might be doing or not doing to stay price competitive? 
Here is an update:
GEICO sells a lot of insurance in Maryland. It’s headquarters is in Chevy Chase, MD. The state requires insurance to get valid registration. The state has a fund for otherwise uninsurable vehicles. High cost of course. The article says that cars are parked for lack of insurance. Must be other states or costs too much.
But how would thief get access to that part? Presumably it is inside the car, and doors are locked. If owners don’t lock their doors, and car get stolen, doesn’t seem like manufacturer’s fault.
One of the pro’s here says they routinely have to move customer cars around from time to time without access to the car’s keys. Apparently there’s a way to do that easily, as long as the doors aren’t locked.
