(TND) — According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, the software fix appears to work for commonly stolen Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

Some Hyundai and Kia models have been targeted by thieves who apparently took advantage of the vehicles’ lack of an immobilizer – a device that prevents the engine from starting if the matching, correctly coded key fob is not recognized.

By 2015, immobilizers were standard equipment on 96 percent of non-Hyundai vehicles sold in the United States, but they did not become standard equipment on Hyundai and Kia, both of the Hyundai Motor Group, until about six years later.

Thieves noticed how easy it was to steal cars without immobilizers, and the news spread on TikTok and other social media channels.

According to HLDI, theft reports in 2022 were almost twice as common for Hyundai and Kia vehicles built between 2015 and 2019 compared to all other manufacturers of those model years.

Automakers will begin offering anti-theft software upgrades for affected vehicles in early 2023. According to HLDI, about two dozen Hyundai and Kia models from 2011 to 2022 are eligible for the upgrade.

Vehicles that received the upgrade since last December had a 53 percent lower theft rate than vehicles without the upgrade, new research from HLDI shows.

“The companies’ solution is extremely effective,” said Matt Moore, senior vice president of HLDI, in a press release last week. “If you own a Hyundai or Kia vehicle without an electronic immobilizer, you should call your local dealer and get the software upgrade today.”

By mid-July, about 60% of eligible vehicles had been upgraded, HLDI said.

Cars with the software upgrades will only start if the owner’s key or an identical duplicate is in the ignition. The upgraded cars will also receive a window sticker designed to deter potential thieves.

According to HLDI, Hyundai and Kia’s claim frequency continued to rise in 2023 despite the implementation of the software upgrade, but the increase in thefts decreased dramatically.