The nation is in uproar after a popular TikTok video by the infamous “Kia Boys” that demonstrates how burglars may steal vehicles using a USB cord.
Hyundai has a fresh strategy to combat the recent wave of car thefts motivated by social media.
Videos posted online demonstrating how simple it is to start various Hyundai and Kia models with only the tip of a USB wire have sparked thousands of thefts across the nation, with even minors caught snatching cars for joyrides.
A 2021 Kia Forte was stolen from a parking lot in St. Paul, Minnesota, only last Saturday by a gang of four teenagers, ages 14 to 17, who then led police on a highway chase with patrol cars and a helicopter in pursuit.
The trio attempted to escape on foot before being caught after the car crashed as the driver tried to avoid a stop stick that had been placed in the road.
The problem is caused by some vehicles made before the 2022 model year not having an immobilizer system, primarily 2011–2021 Kias and 2015–2021 Hyundais with mechanical key ignitions.
The starter is disabled if the alarm is activated by the Firstech/Compustar security package, which “targets the mode of entry thieves are utilizing to access these vehicles.”
Starting on October 1, Hyundai will sell a security system for the impacted vehicles in dealerships.
Starting on October 1st, Hyundai will start selling and installing the equipment at its dealers for an unspecified cost.
In This Article...
KIA and Hyundai vehicle theft prevention advice in light of a social media trend
According to police, the challenge details step-by-step instructions for stealing KIA and Hyundai vehicles with only a USB charging connection.
Both Tiffany Lindsay and her husband are KIA car owners. After learning that automobile models are being stolen by thieves, they declare that they will make careful to secure their doors.
“I would have never guessed that…
My car is a 2016 model, and I never would have imagined having to worry about it being stolen “affirms Lindsay.
It’s all a part of the “KIA Boyz” craze, which is extremely popular on social media. Some of the instructional films feature teenagers starting the stolen vehicles with USB cords before they crash or abandon them after their joyride. According to the Beloit Police Department, this pattern is causing a substantial increase in the city’s auto thefts.
Detective Eric Schoonover adds, “In the aftermath, it’d be preferable to prevent them in the beginning.”
Detective Eric Schoonover claims that buying a steering wheel lock is the key to prevention. He claims that certain flaws in KIA and Hyundai cars produced between 2015 and 2022 enable criminals to disable the ignition.
“It serves as a visual deterrent to robbers as well. It physically prevented anyone from starting the car. Therefore, it would initially dissuade burglars from stealing these vehicles, “Schoonover explains.
“Your largest reliance is on that. There is nothing you can do to stop it aside from that “says Tammy Putnam, proprietor of a nearby key store.
In order to stop these crimes, the Beloit Police Department provided 100 free steering wheel locks to vulnerable drivers on Wednesday night during National Night Out.
When contacted for comment regarding the craze, a representative from TikTok responded, “TikTok does not condone this activity, which plainly violates our policies and will be banned if spotted on our platform.”
The trend has now been expanded throughout all social media platforms, not just one, as was originally stated in this article.
The Group
For the cars made by Hyundai and Kia, there is no true software patch. The owners of any older Hyundai or Kia remain vulnerable to this exploit despite the Korean automakers’ damage control efforts, which include equipping all models produced after 2022 with immobilizers. However, an antiquated theft deterrent common prior to the development of immobilizers may be the key to either slowing down or completely stopping theft.
The Club also comes in an alternative style that presses against the brake pedal. In that configuration, a pole attaches to the underside of the wheel before hitting the stop pedal.
How can I prevent theft of my Hyundai?
- Take your keys and lock the doors.
- Leave no spare keys in the car.
- Shut the windows.
- Always park in well-lit places.
- Install an anti-theft device and an alarm system.
- Install a tracking or car immobilizer system.
How are Hyundai vehicles stolen?
Some Hyundai and Kia models can be stolen in as little as a minute, and it happens all over the nation.
Why it matters: Owners are currently forced to use a traditional steering wheel lock in order to secure their vehicles due to the widespread issue, which is thought to be caused by design defects in the cars.
- Hyundai advises clients that they must pay for a specialist security kit if they wish to protect their vehicle.
- Starting on October 1, Hyundai automobiles will be able to purchase the equipment—a “starter interrupt and siren” that “targets the technique of entry criminals are using”—for an undisclosed price.
- According to Kia, a security kit is not currently available.
The ignition is made visible when a window is broken and a portion of the steering column’s cover is removed. They use a flathead screwdriver or USB plug to start the car after breaking the ignition cylinder.
- The technique is compatible with Hyundai and Kia vehicles from 2016 to 2021 that employ steel keys rather than push-button start and a fob. According to the automakers, they are focusing on vehicles lacking engine immobilizers, which prevent a vehicle from starting without the proper smart key being present.
- Hussein predicts that damage could cost $2,000–$3,000. He adds that it might take some time to get the car returned because some parts are on backorder as a result of the increasing demand.
The mystery: Authorities connect some of the thefts to a pattern highlighted in a popular Milwaukee-based YouTube video that features interviews with “Kia Boys” members. They show how swiftly they allegedly take the autos.
- According to the Detroit police department, 111 Kias were taken in July and 22 in the first nine days of August. This is an increase from 23 in June and 11 or less in each of the other months of 2022.
- 156 Kia and Hyundai thefts have been reported by Charlotte, North Carolina, police since June 20, a 346% rise from 35 instances during the same period last year.
- Seven of the top 10 most stolen cars in Wisconsin, according to the NICB’s 2021 Hot Wheels report, were Kias or Hyundais. But according to the 2020 study, none of those cars were in the top 10 in the state.
According to court documents and legal firms, automakers are currently facing lawsuits all throughout the country, including two-plaintiff class-action litigation in Iowa, a class-action in Wisconsin, and two class-action actions focusing on Ohio theft victims.
- Automobile owners claim that design flaws that make the vehicles simple to steal are not disclosed. Currently, despite acknowledging the issue, the firms “refuse to remedy them” or “compensate consumers,” according to the Iowa lawsuit.
- All of Hyundai’s vehicles “meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards,” the automaker added. All of the new cars being made have immobilizers, which make them harder to steal.
- The senior editor of VOX ATL in Atlanta asked, “Who on Earth would have believed that a dad-ride like a Kia Soul would have been targeted by teenagers?”
- “It’s [because it’s] popular on social media and simple to do Lamborghinis are a little more difficult to steal.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the fact that Hyundai Motor Group, not Hyundai Motor Co., is the parent corporation of the two brands.
What can I do to stop someone from stealing my car?
- Secure the doors.
- Take the car’s keys out of the ignition.
- Never keep an extra key next to your car.
- Snap the windows shut.
- Install a theft-prevention gadget and an audible alarm system.
- Install a mechanism to disable vehicles.
- Place a tracking device in place
Has Hyundai anti-theft technology?
After that date, keyless ignition Hyundai automobiles also have to come equipped with electronic immobilizers as a standard.
Hyundai has also developed a component that can be put in older vehicles without immobilizers to stop this kind of theft.
Why do Hyundai vehicles get stolen?
Low-end Because they lack electronic immobilizers, which prevent the engine from being started without the allocated key present, Kia and Hyundai cars produced between 2010 and 2020 have been targets for theft for years. The majority of other cars have immobilizers. Immobilizers were installed in 62 percent of car models as early as 2000, and by 2015, they were in 96 percent of vehicles made by other manufacturers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a research organization for the insurance industry. But only 26% of cars from Kia and Hyundai have them.
As a result, it is extremely simple to steal the vehicles by prying open the steering column, gaining access to a diagnostic port, and starting the vehicle with a USB wire. Thefts have been particularly prevalent for Hyundais and Kias from 2015 to 2019 (sister firms that share a lot of technologies and designs), according to the IIHS, and this trend started in 2020.
However, beginning in 2021, videos on TikTok began to go viral demonstrating how to steal Kias and Hyundais, which, according to police authorities, takes 20 to 30 seconds. It became known as the “Kia Challenge,” and as of this writing, the YouTube documentary Kia Boys has received 3.8 million views. According to IIHS, the trend started in Wisconsin, where thefts of Hyundai and Kia “soared to more than 30 times the level of 2019.” The Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, and Kia Sportage—cheap econoboxes that aren’t generally major targets for theft—have risen to the top 20 most stolen car list according to IIHS as the thefts have expanded across the country this summer.
The Wednesday lawsuit is only the most recent in a long line of similar class action lawsuits against Kia and Hyundai. According to CNBC, Missouri lawyer Ken McClain has already filed lawsuits in 12 states and may do so in seven more. According to IIHS, the first lawsuit against the firms’ omission of immobilizers was brought forth in 2020.
Ira Gabriel, a Hyundai representative, told Motherboard that although the company “does not comment on pending litigation,” it is “concerned about the recent spike in auto thefts of specific Hyundai motor vehicles.” Hyundai vehicles “meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards,” according to Gabriel. Hyundai will start selling a security package produced by Firstech/Compustar through Hyundai or Campustar dealers on October 1.
While no car can be completely theft-proof, thieves are only interested in automobiles with a steel key and a “turn-to-start” ignition system, according to Kia spokesperson James Bell, who also claimed that key fob-equipped vehicles are “more difficult to steal.” Additionally, Kia is collaborating with regional police agencies to provide wheel locks to impacted customers.
Hyundais with push-button starts can be stolen?
- Certain types and models of Kia and Hyundai cars from 2010 to 2021 that require mechanical keys rather than key fobs and push buttons to start the car are being targeted by thieves.
- Young kids are the majority of the burglars, and they hot wire the automobile using a USB cord.
- Using the hashtag “Kia Boys,” which has received more than 33 million views on TikTok, they broadcast videos on social media showing them driving and stealing the automobiles.
Young kids are being challenged to steal specific cars off the street using a USB cord, and this dangerous challenge is becoming viral on TikTok and other social media platforms, putting car owners and police departments on high alert across the nation.