Rising Kia and Hyundai thefts spark investigations and frustration.
TL;DR
Bored teenagers on TikTok started a social media challenge involving stealing Kias and Hyundais using a specific method and posting the results online. The trend has since spread nationwide, causing deadly car accidents, a class-action lawsuit, and drops in the automakers' stock prices. The Kia Boys, a general collective of teenagers who have used a particular hack to steal cars, have stolen tens of thousands of cars and caused property damage and fatal accidents. Kia and Hyundai dealerships are reportedly overwhelmed with all of the damaged cars that owners are finding abandoned.
- Who are the “Kia Boyz”? How TikTok fueled an epidemic of car thefts Ars Technica
- Victims of Kia and Hyundai thefts in Connecticut speak out WFSB 3
- Kia & Hyundai thefts on the rise despite a security fix ABC Action News Tampa Bay
- AG Tong to investigate why Kia, Hyundai omitted engine immobilizers from now-vulnerable vehicles FOX 61
- Backlog on parts adds to frustration for Hyundai and Kia owners who have had their vehicles stolen WKBW TV | Buffalo, NY
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