Last month, Denisha Wilkins paid $484.86 for her car insurance policy covering her Kia Sportage SUV. She made the payment over the phone with a Liberty Mutual associate, giving her account information directly to the rep. Then, she went about her day. Apparently, though, the associate entered the account number incorrectly, and the payment never actually went through. After getting a cancellation notice, Wilkins attempted to reinstate her policy. Shockingly, she was denied. It wasn’t about the administrative lapse, though. It was because of the make and model she drove.

Ever since Wilkins has attempted to get car insurance through other companies in her home state of Georgia. Unfortunately, the state is one of several wherein insurance companies decided to blacklist certain Kia and Hyundai models.

“State Farm just hung up on me,” Wilkins told WSB-TV this week. The outlet reports that insurance companies in Georgia, Louisiana, Oregon, Washington, and Pennsylvania all regularly deny new policies to Kias considered high risk. Otherwise, many residents face increased premiums for existing policies on their Kia cars due to now well-known risks of theft, break-ins, or fire.

Since car insurance companies are private entities, while regulated, they can decide what cars to cover and where. Owners of modified, rare, classic, or ultra-high-end vehicles may get denied a policy in the first place. But for Kia and Hyundai owners, the lack of insurance options can be very frustrating.

In February 2023, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reported that thieves stole more than 800 Kias and Hyundais in January alone. That month, the two brands accounted for 57% of stolen cars in all of Philly. As such, Progressive and State Farm halted writing new policies for these vehicles.

In response, Hyundai issued a statement hoping the move was only temporary. Engine immobilizers became standard starting in November 2021. The automaker was also working on a software upgrade that was, shortly after its statement, made available free to customers driving models built without engine immobilizers.

If you drive a Kia or Hyundai with a legacy “turn-to-start” ignition, make sure you’ve received any available anti-theft updates or available resources, like a free steering wheel lock.

Drivers who find themselves or their cars “uninsurable” by major providers can still get car insurance. Every state is required to host non-profit-based insurance programs, typically through an entity called AIPSO. You can go to its website and select your state. Unfortunately, many of these plans are more expensive than private insurance company plans, but they will insure high-risk vehicles or drivers.