Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution
It's becoming more obvious that the Kia Boys madness won't come to an end too soon, despite Hyundai and Kia patching vehicles, police giving away AirTags, and owners installing steering wheel locks.
The TikTok challenge that went viral approximately two years ago put a target on the back of nearly every Hyundai and Kia parked on the street (unless teenagers mistake them for Hondas, don't laugh, it happened). Due to the lack of immobilizers, thieves can remove the steering wheel column and connect a USB cable to start the engine in seconds.
It's what a 13-year-old boy and his one-year-older friend did last week in Renton, Washington, when they spotted a Kia parked on the street. They approached the car, broke the side window, jumped in, ripped off the steering wheel column, and connected the USB cable to start the engine.
It may sound ridiculous, but stealing a Hyundai and Kia model affected by this problem is easy. The teenagers drove away in seconds, at which point they were spotted by officers on a surveillance mission on a different case in Renton Highlands.
They noticed something suspicious about the car, so they tried to contain the vehicle. The teenagers escaped, eventually turning the chase into a Hollywood-style pursuit that could only end in one way. The patrol officers requested helicopter assistance, but until the officers in the air arrived, the stolen Kia smashed into a van.
The police arrested the driver, while the teenage passenger ran away. A few minutes later, he was spotted by the Guardian One helicopter and arrested by the officers on the ground.
Meanwhile, Hyundai and Kia urge everybody to install the anti-theft update on their vehicles. It works, the carmakers say, adding that it doesn't take more than 30 minutes to deploy the update. Once patched, the thief can't start the engine, so they run away, sometimes even leaving behind the infamous USB cable.
The other side of the problem is that these teenagers don't seem to care if a vehicle is patched. They see a Hyundai or Kia parked on the side of the road, and they immediately assume it can be stolen, so seconds later, they break the window and jump behind the wheel. If the engine doesn't start, that's okay, they walk away and look for another car.
Owners end up being forced to pay thousands of dollars for the damage, sometimes repeatedly, due to the TikTok challenge that put a target on the back of their cars.
Many people call for tougher laws and bigger punishments for the teenagers who steal cars for Internet fame, while parents should be responsible for all expenses, including the helicopter chase, the vehicle damage, and everything else produced by their kid.
Authorities continue to ignore the problem, though, so depending on the state, the TikTok celebrity wannabe might just get a slap on the wrist and lose their Xbox controller for a few days.
It's what a 13-year-old boy and his one-year-older friend did last week in Renton, Washington, when they spotted a Kia parked on the street. They approached the car, broke the side window, jumped in, ripped off the steering wheel column, and connected the USB cable to start the engine.
It may sound ridiculous, but stealing a Hyundai and Kia model affected by this problem is easy. The teenagers drove away in seconds, at which point they were spotted by officers on a surveillance mission on a different case in Renton Highlands.
They noticed something suspicious about the car, so they tried to contain the vehicle. The teenagers escaped, eventually turning the chase into a Hollywood-style pursuit that could only end in one way. The patrol officers requested helicopter assistance, but until the officers in the air arrived, the stolen Kia smashed into a van.
The police arrested the driver, while the teenage passenger ran away. A few minutes later, he was spotted by the Guardian One helicopter and arrested by the officers on the ground.
Meanwhile, Hyundai and Kia urge everybody to install the anti-theft update on their vehicles. It works, the carmakers say, adding that it doesn't take more than 30 minutes to deploy the update. Once patched, the thief can't start the engine, so they run away, sometimes even leaving behind the infamous USB cable.
The other side of the problem is that these teenagers don't seem to care if a vehicle is patched. They see a Hyundai or Kia parked on the side of the road, and they immediately assume it can be stolen, so seconds later, they break the window and jump behind the wheel. If the engine doesn't start, that's okay, they walk away and look for another car.
Owners end up being forced to pay thousands of dollars for the damage, sometimes repeatedly, due to the TikTok challenge that put a target on the back of their cars.
Many people call for tougher laws and bigger punishments for the teenagers who steal cars for Internet fame, while parents should be responsible for all expenses, including the helicopter chase, the vehicle damage, and everything else produced by their kid.
Authorities continue to ignore the problem, though, so depending on the state, the TikTok celebrity wannabe might just get a slap on the wrist and lose their Xbox controller for a few days.
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