With Kia and Hyundai vehicles continuing to be targeted for theft, one woman says she is struggling to get cheaper insurance for her Hyundai Elantra.Candia Oliver said she loves her 2022 Hyundai Elantra. She worries about it, too. She even has a steering wheel lock to prevent it from getting stolen.”‘Is my car out there?’ That’s the first thing I check every morning before going to work,” she said.When she received a promotion from the American Association of Retired Persons in the mail, she considered the possibility of switching to cheaper car insurance. She called and talked to an agent with Hartford insurance.”When I said, ‘that Elantra’ and gave her that year, that was it,” Oliver said. “Once she got the information, she paused and said, ‘Let me put you on hold,’ and then she got back on the phone and said, ‘We can’t accept you.'”We don’t know the exact reason why the agent declined coverage. But Oliver thinks it’s because of thefts across the country of similar cars. The I-Team contacted The Hartford about its policies. In an email, a spokeswoman wrote, “We do not have any blanket restrictions on insuring Kia and Hyundai vehicles. We make individual underwriting decisions based on reasons such as a person’s driving record, claim experience and other criteria.”We also contacted two other insurance companies. State Farm said it “has temporarily stopped accepting new customer applications in some states for certain model years and trim levels of Hyundai and Kia vehicles because theft losses for these vehicles have increased dramatically.”This is a serious problem impacting our customers and the entire auto insurance industry. We are monitoring this situation very closely and will adjust our approach as appropriate.”The email does not include the states involved. In February, the Maryland Insurance Administration released a consumer alert following reports of some insurance companies refusing to write policies for certain Kia and Hyundai cars in certain states. The alert said, “This is not allowed in Maryland, and the Maryland Insurance Administration has confirmed that coverage for these vehicles continues to be available from all of our largest insurer groups. If you have been refused coverage because you own a Hyundai or a Kia, please file a complaint with the MIA.”Insurers in Maryland received a warning bulletin, reading in part, “The insurance administration considers refusals to insure these vehicles to be a direct contravention of rates with the Insurance Administration and a violation of Maryland law.””I just pray and ask God to keep my car covered. I pray real, real hard,” Oliver said.She said for now, she plans to stay with her current car insurance company.
With Kia and Hyundai vehicles continuing to be targeted for theft, one woman says she is struggling to get cheaper insurance for her Hyundai Elantra.
Candia Oliver said she loves her 2022 Hyundai Elantra. She worries about it, too. She even has a steering wheel lock to prevent it from getting stolen.
“‘Is my car out there?’ That’s the first thing I check every morning before going to work,” she said.
When she received a promotion from the American Association of Retired Persons in the mail, she considered the possibility of switching to cheaper car insurance. She called and talked to an agent with Hartford insurance.
“When I said, ‘that Elantra’ and gave her that year, that was it,” Oliver said. “Once she got the information, she paused and said, ‘Let me put you on hold,’ and then she got back on the phone and said, ‘We can’t accept you.'”
We don’t know the exact reason why the agent declined coverage. But Oliver thinks it’s because of thefts across the country of similar cars.
The I-Team contacted The Hartford about its policies. In an email, a spokeswoman wrote, “We do not have any blanket restrictions on insuring Kia and Hyundai vehicles. We make individual underwriting decisions based on reasons such as a person’s driving record, claim experience and other criteria.”
We also contacted two other insurance companies. State Farm said it “has temporarily stopped accepting new customer applications in some states for certain model years and trim levels of Hyundai and Kia vehicles because theft losses for these vehicles have increased dramatically.
“This is a serious problem impacting our customers and the entire auto insurance industry. We are monitoring this situation very closely and will adjust our approach as appropriate.”
The email does not include the states involved. In February, the Maryland Insurance Administration released a consumer alert following reports of some insurance companies refusing to write policies for certain Kia and Hyundai cars in certain states.
The alert said, “This is not allowed in Maryland, and the Maryland Insurance Administration has confirmed that coverage for these vehicles continues to be available from all of our largest insurer groups. If you have been refused coverage because you own a Hyundai or a Kia, please file a complaint with the MIA.”
Insurers in Maryland received a warning bulletin, reading in part, “The insurance administration considers refusals to insure these vehicles to be a direct contravention of rates with the Insurance Administration and a violation of Maryland law.”
“I just pray and ask God to keep my car covered. I pray real, real hard,” Oliver said.
She said for now, she plans to stay with her current car insurance company.
