Ian Fogg watched his car being driven away on his video doorbell in March – but despite having its live location data and an Apple AirTag hidden inside, the smartphone analyst has been unable to retrieve it.
Car safety firm Thatcham Research said the case illustrates a "genuine and growing gap" between what consumers expect from connected car features and the technical reality. Fogg's Kia was stolen from outside his house without the keys. Thieves disconnected his phone via the entertainment system, exploiting an unsecured process designed for new owners. For a short while, an Apple AirTag tracked the car until thieves found it and discarded it because it made a noise – a feature Apple introduced to combat stalking.
“Thatcham Research warns of 'growing gap' after Ian Fogg's stolen Kia could not be tracked despite live location data.”
Fogg turned to Kia Connect, the manufacturer's service that can view the vehicle's live location. But Kia told the BBC that UK law prevented the Connect function from being used to live track vehicles. The firm advised customers to use it for "convenience" rather than security. When Fogg contacted Kia, he was told he would have to fill in a form each time he requested the location. He did this eight times, and each time the location arrived 24-48 hours after the car had been recorded there.
"This car was incredibly easy to hack but incredibly difficult to track," Fogg told BBC News. "It shouldn't be this easy to nick a car when they cost an order of magnitude more than a phone and have similar radio technology."
In a statement, Kia said: "Kia Connect is a customer convenience feature, not a certified security vehicle tracker. Therefore, it does not provide live‑tracking functionality for stolen vehicles. Release of location details of a vehicle via Kia Connect is possible, however this must be done in full compliance with all applicable laws, in particular GDPR, and the authorities to minimise risk to the customer."
The case highlights a cautionary tale of tech promising security but failing in a crisis. Experts warn that people should not expect vehicle trackers to help if their car is stolen – a lesson Fogg learned the hard way. As of publication, his car remains missing.