Photo: Hyundai
You'd think a trend that emerged approximately two years ago would be over by now, but the Kia Boys madness still causes problems in the United States.
The Port St. Lucie Police Department found no option but to start giving away steering wheel locks specifically to prevent teenagers from driving away in Hyundais and Kias, whose engines can be started with a ridiculously simple hack.
A trend that went rival on TikTok in 2022 put a target on the back of nearly every Hyundai and Kia, despite only certain model years being vulnerable. The viral videos showed people breaking into cars and starting the engines using only a USB cable, as the vulnerable models came without immobilizers.
The method rapidly became popular among teenagers, who found it easy, funny, and exciting to steal cars in seconds, only to crash them minutes later or leave them with their doors open on the side of the road.
Called Kia Boys, the trend has wreaked havoc in the United States, where Kia and Hyundai owners turned to steering wheel locks to prevent their vehicles from getting stolen. It's not like the thieves care about the steering wheel locks, though. Many Kia Boys don't look inside the car, still breaking the window before noticing the lock. However, the good part is that the thief can't drive away, though the damage they produce by breaking the window still costs several hundred dollars.
Police in several regions partnered with Hyundai and Kia to give away steering wheel locks for eligible models. The Port St. Lucie officials say Hyundai and Kia owners must own a model vulnerable to the hack, be a resident of Port St. Lucie, and have a Florida driver's license or ID card. The steering wheel locks are available with an appointment.
Meanwhile, Hyundai and Kia recommend that owners with eligible models install the anti-theft update. Released long ago, the software update prevents the engine from starting, not allowing the thief to drive away. The company also gives away stickers to let potential thieves know that the vehicle has already been patched, but as we learned from recent cases, few actually care about them.
Thieves break the windows of the car without even looking around. Once they figure out that the engine doesn't start, they run away, often even abandoning their USB cables that are supposed to turn on the engine.
Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, the Kia Boys madness continues, with some owners claiming their cars have been targeted despite coming with an immobilizer from the factory. It'll probably take some time until the whole thing goes away, but meanwhile, your best option is to protect your car from this horrible trend the best you can, including with steering wheel locks, AirTags, and gigantic stickers to tell everybody you already installed the anti-theft software.
A trend that went rival on TikTok in 2022 put a target on the back of nearly every Hyundai and Kia, despite only certain model years being vulnerable. The viral videos showed people breaking into cars and starting the engines using only a USB cable, as the vulnerable models came without immobilizers.
The method rapidly became popular among teenagers, who found it easy, funny, and exciting to steal cars in seconds, only to crash them minutes later or leave them with their doors open on the side of the road.
Called Kia Boys, the trend has wreaked havoc in the United States, where Kia and Hyundai owners turned to steering wheel locks to prevent their vehicles from getting stolen. It's not like the thieves care about the steering wheel locks, though. Many Kia Boys don't look inside the car, still breaking the window before noticing the lock. However, the good part is that the thief can't drive away, though the damage they produce by breaking the window still costs several hundred dollars.
Police in several regions partnered with Hyundai and Kia to give away steering wheel locks for eligible models. The Port St. Lucie officials say Hyundai and Kia owners must own a model vulnerable to the hack, be a resident of Port St. Lucie, and have a Florida driver's license or ID card. The steering wheel locks are available with an appointment.
Meanwhile, Hyundai and Kia recommend that owners with eligible models install the anti-theft update. Released long ago, the software update prevents the engine from starting, not allowing the thief to drive away. The company also gives away stickers to let potential thieves know that the vehicle has already been patched, but as we learned from recent cases, few actually care about them.
Thieves break the windows of the car without even looking around. Once they figure out that the engine doesn't start, they run away, often even abandoning their USB cables that are supposed to turn on the engine.
Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, the Kia Boys madness continues, with some owners claiming their cars have been targeted despite coming with an immobilizer from the factory. It'll probably take some time until the whole thing goes away, but meanwhile, your best option is to protect your car from this horrible trend the best you can, including with steering wheel locks, AirTags, and gigantic stickers to tell everybody you already installed the anti-theft software.
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