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You may have read about the recent lawsuits against Kia and Hyundai in New York and other US cities. But what exactly led us to this point? As with many viral topics these days, it all started on TikTok.
During the pandemic, bored and tech-savvy teenagers began posting videos online showing how to steal Kias and Hyundais. Thefts of these cars began increasing dramatically around the country, and soon the social media challenge—where people film themselves doing something (like dumping a bucket of icy water over their head) then post the video online as proof—had caused deadly car crashes, a class-action lawsuit, and even drops in the automakers’ stock prices. Kia and Hyundai both began offering software updates and recalling cars, but the damage was done.
The Kia Boys & the TikTok challenge
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a huge number of social media challenges, especially among kids, simply due to boredom and extra time. In late 2021, the “Kia Boys” began going viral on TikTok. They were participating in a social media challenge that involved stealing Kias and Hyundais using a specific method and posting the results on TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube.
These teenagers, who have stolen tens of thousands of cars, are mostly from Milwaukee and Columbus, Ohio, although the trend has since spread nationwide. The topic has even made it into songs, with rappers bragging about stealing Kias.
The Kia Boys are not an official organization but rather a general collective of teenagers who have used a particular hack to steal cars. Many are too young to even have a driver’s license. They don’t do it for money or even to keep the cars—they do it for fun, for the joy rides.
Not only are these teenagers stealing cars and sharing the videos on social media, but they are driving the cars recklessly, causing property damage and fatal crashes. The thieves usually abandon the cars, often totaled and filled with empty bottles of alcohol.
At least one arrest has been made in connection to these crimes. In June 2022, Markell Hughes was arrested in Milwaukee after crashing a stolen red Hyundai. Police were able to match the license plate of the vehicle to one that had been reported stolen. They also identified Hughes and the vehicle in a YouTube video called “Kia Boys Documentary (A Story of Teenage Car Theft),” which now has over 6 million views.
What makes these cars so easy to steal?
The security flaw that has led to this issue stems from Kia’s cost-saving measures and a lack of regulations. In Canada, for example, cars made from September 2007 onward are required to have immobilizers—a common anti-theft device that prevents a car from being started without the smart key present. But this regulation doesn’t exist in the United States.
The Kia Boys can easily steal Kia models manufactured from 2011-2021 by accessing the steering wheel column. The method is probably easier than you think: all the Kia Boys need to do is break a window, pry open the steering column, and plug a charging cord onto a small metal nub beneath the ignition cylinder, which is perfectly sized to fit into a USB-A plug. Then just twist the plug and the car starts.
Ars Technica
In Milwaukee and Columbus, where the phenomenon is most prominent, you’ll now see most Kias sporting a steering wheel lock. Kia and Hyundai dealerships in these cities are reportedly overwhelmed with all of the damaged cars that owners are finding abandoned. It’s even causing a shortage of parts.
