What Owners Need to Know About Hyundai and Kia Vehicle Insurance in Colorado

DENVER — Some Colorado vehicle owners continue to have problems insuring Hyundai and Kia models due to the increased risk of theft they face.

Last week, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined 16 other attorneys general in calling for a nationwide recall of Hyundai and Kia models with easily bypassed ignition switches and no immobilizers.

Denver7 spoke with Morgan Lloyd, a Denver-area independent insurance agent. He said he hears every week from customers struggling to insure their Kia and Hyundai vehicles, and he also shares information with vehicle owners on Reddit.

“It’s frustrating for everyone. It’s frustrating for me,” Lloyd said. “You find a good package for someone, then everything fails because of it. You know, it’s really maddening”

Below is the list of the 10 most stolen vehicles in Colorado in 2022, according to the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority. Six of the top 10 are Kia and Hyundai models.

• Chevrolet Silverado 1500
• Kia Sportage
• Hyundai Sonata
• Kia Optima
• Hyundai Tucson
• Hyundai Elantra
• Ford F-250
• Honda-Civic
• Kia Sorento
• GMC Sierra

Kia and Hyundai rolled out software updates to prevent theft, but also said their vehicles met federal safety standards and therefore did not need a recall.
Lloyd said there are currently still insurers that will provide cover, including Nationwide and Traveler’s. However, he has seen the list of options constantly shrink.

“It’s constantly changing,” Lloyd said. “Don’t assume you’ll even be able to get coverage from any carrier at this point. Just shop around and you’ll have to work to get coverage.

Ultimately, Lloyd recommends changing vehicles or avoiding impacted models altogether, if that’s an option.

“I would say it takes a Toyota, a Honda,” he laughed. “You know, get something a little more reliable, that’s been built better [and] didn’t have that problem.”

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