Some Kia owners dealing with software update glitch causing car alarm to go off

We’re looking into a glitch in the security software update Kia recently rolled out.

The update is designed to combat flaws that made the cars an easy target for thieves.

Channel 2′s Veronica Griffin reached out to the automaker and it appears that the update doesn’t work for everyone.

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Sean Jackson uses a remote starter for his 2022 Kia K5.

He recently got the software update Kia designed to address the spike in thefts.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, both Hyundai and Kia developed theft deterrent software for millions of their vehicles in response to a TikTok social media challenge that has resulted in at least 14 reported crashes and eight deaths.

“When it was being promoted online like that, especially on TikTok and all these other social media platforms, I was really worried,” Jackson said.

Kia said it initially contacted over 1,000,000 customers like Jackson to come in for the software update to address the problem.

But it turns out the update didn’t work for everyone.

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Some owners of vehicles equipped with the remote start accessory are now faced with a new problem - a glitch causing their car alarm to go off.

Griffin contacted Kia and they confirmed the glitch, calling it a “compatibility issue” with the software update.

Kia offered a temporary solution in a statement that reads in part, “If your vehicle is equipped with a remote start accessory, we will need to delay installation of the software upgrade until we can investigate and address this compatibility issue. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

Jackson said so far he hasn’t had a problem with his car alarm going off but added that he just wants to see Kia get things right.

“I’m glad to see they’re still working on it. And hopefully, they get the issue resolved pretty soon,” Jackson said.

We’re told Kia expects to roll out a new version of the upgraded software that will address the issue in the coming weeks.

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