From 10 feet, it kind of works.
Ever since so many Hyundai and Kia vehicles started getting stolen because of a social media trend that exploited a security vulnerability (the lack of a key immobilizer),owners have gone through great lengths to thwart mobs of KIA boys (the name these car thieves have dubbed themselves.)
Embed from Getty ImagesA software patch, steering wheel lock, and even upgraded alarm systems don’t stop some thieves from breaking a car window and mangling a steering wheel column because, how are they supposed to know their screwdriver and USB trick no longer works?
Desperate times call for desperate measures and has pushed at least one Hyundai Sonata owner to try something different.
Camouflage.
This Sonata owner’s ripped this Hyundai badges off and silicone’d Ford badges in its place.
Execution is lacking but, it kind of works.
Check out his handy work, thanks to a Redditor who posted up this customer’s car on the /r/JustRolledIntoTheShop below.
The photo show an eight-ish year old Sonata front end with a Ford badge glued to where the Hyundai badge normally would.
“Customer replaced all his Hyundai logos with Ford logos to trick thieves” /u/Cripplerx captioned his photo
The reason it kind of works is, even before the badge swap, the Sonata already looked like any modern mid-sized sedan.
Due partly to safety restrictions and general guidelines new cars must follow, a lot of modern car design looks similar.
Slap on a Honda, Nissan, or even a Chevrolet badge and I reckon the effect might be just as good as a Ford badge swap, an easy bit of subterfuge to throw off the KIA boys that this car is not, in fact, a KIA or Hyundai.
It also almost looks like a similar year Ford Fusion.
There are 10 other comments in the thread saying the same.
“It reminds me of my daughter’s Fusion, I did not think anything of it – until I read the caption, /u/Lughnasadh32 replied.
“I legit thought it was a Fusion,” /u/Voltaiic also commented.
The deceit seems to work.
“(It) worked on me, and I’m a KIA owner,” /u/XDR01 commented. “I’m impressed.”
“Thought it was a Subaru Legacy when I was scrolling by,” /u/SmallWhiteBalls480p wrote out.
If a $4 badge (that’s how much a used one costs on eBay) is all it takes to successfully fool a large chunk of would-be car thieves, that’s an excellent return on investment.
Personally, I’d make it look a bit cleaner, as stock as possible.
If you’re a Hyundai or KIA owner, would you do this?
Let me know in the comments below.
