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Kia and Hyundai car thefts have surged nationwide, with some major cities reporting an increase of more than 300% in the past two years, with police blaming trends on TikTok and social media. .
Starting in 2021, TikTok and social media users will post videos under the hashtag ‘Kia Boyz’ to start their Kia or Hyundai cars without a key using a phone charger or the tip of a USB cable. We teach people how to do it and encourage young people across the country to try it. steal those cars.
“Nothing exciting, but it’s becoming a game,” said George Glassman, president of Glassman Automotive Group in Detroit. Fox 2.
Lieutenant Clive Stewart of the Detroit Police Department told the outlet that the children were “getting into the stolen car with their mates” and “riding around.”
TIKTOK Car Theft Challenge: 767% Increase in Hyundai and Kia Thefts in Chicago Area
State and federal lawsuits against the two automakers are now piling up.
In a class action lawsuit filed in Milwaukee last year by Burton Legal, the defendants’ Hyundai and Kia vehicles had defects that made them “easy to steal,” “unsafe,” and “worth less than they were worth.” Says. defect. Since then, the plaintiff has filed class action lawsuits in at least seven other states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, and Texas.
TIKTOK Car Theft Challenge: LA Police See 85% Increase in KIA, HYUNDAI Thefts in 2021
This issue is due to the fact that some vehicles prior to model year 2022, mainly Kias model year 2011-2021 and model year 2015-2021, do not have an immobilizer system. hyundai with ignition A mechanical key is required.
“The vehicle is particularly flawed in that it was built and designed without an engine immobilizer, an electronic security device that makes it virtually impossible to start the vehicle without a key unless the vehicle’s computer has been altered. There is,” the lawsuit said. “This means that all a thief needs to do to steal one of the defective cars is remove the thin piece of plastic covering the ignition column, exposing a fragile component that can be easily removed. , a thief can stick a USB drive, a knife or anything that fits in the resulting hole to start the vehicle without the key or an electronic signal from the key.”
The lawsuit added:[c]Given that many people charge their phones in their cars, the tools needed to steal a defective vehicle are usually readily available to would-be thieves. increase. ”
Illinois officials recently reported a 767% increase in thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles. chicago area From early July compared to last year.
Hyundai has a new way to prevent car theft
The Chicago Police Department’s 15th District said in an Aug. 24 community advisory, “Vehicle thefts are up a staggering 767% due to new threats from TikTok.” [sic] For young adults on how to steal both Hyundai and Kia cars. These auto thefts are crimes of opportunity and can affect almost every member of the community. ”
Charlotte, North Carolina, reported a 346% increase in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles from last year. Axios CharlotteHyundai and Kia vehicle thefts in Omaha, Nebraska are up about 600% from last year. Wow report.
St. Paul, Minnesota saw a 1,300% increase in Kia vehicle thefts compared to last year, and a nearly 600% increase in Hyundai vehicle thefts, according to the report. FOX 9 MinneapolisAugust, group of 4 children aged 14-17 stole the 2021 kia forte From the rental lot, I led the police on the highway with patrol cars and helicopter pursuits. The car crashed as the driver tried to avoid a stopstick placed on the road, and the group attempted to flee on foot before being arrested.
In St. Louis, Kia and Hyundai thefts increased by about 1,000% compared to last year. KSDKMayor Tishaula Jones and public safety director Daniel Isom sent letters to Hyundai and Kia executives saying they were creating a “public security crisis” in Missouri.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmidt countered on Twitter, saying, “St. Louis has a violent crime problem. What drives crime in the city? Mayor’s war on police? Prosecutors who are? Clearly the city’s “leaders” are ….cars.yes- carmakers are responsible, not criminals.you can’t make this up. ”
“We are concerned about the recent increase in vehicle thefts of certain Hyundai models,” Hyundai Motor America spokesperson Ira Gabriel told Fox News Digital in a statement. said.
“All of our vehicles meet or exceed federal motor vehicle safety standards, but unfortunately our vehicles are subject to coordinated efforts on social media. We are targeting our cars that don’t.The immobilizer has become standard on all vehicles produced after November 1, 2021,” Gabriel said.
To assist Hyundai owners whose vehicles are not equipped with immobilizers, it said, “Hyundai is working with local police departments and will continue to make steering wheel locks available for affected Hyundai owners. We will support you,” Gabriel continued. The Security Kit will be available for purchase and installation starting October 1st.
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Kia did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital, but the automaker said in a FOX 28 statement that “the majority of Kia vehicles in the US have a key fob and a ‘push-button-to-start’ system. said to be equipped with , making them more difficult to steal. ”
“All 2022 Kia models and trims have an immobilizer applied at the beginning of the model year or as a running change,” the statement added. In 2008, the steering wheel lock device was provided free of charge to law enforcement agencies in the affected areas, and the effort was coordinated with local police departments for distribution to concerned owners of Kia vehicles that were not originally equipped with immobilizers. We will work closely together.”
TikTok does not tolerate videos about the theft of Kia and Hyundai cars, saying it violates video app policies and will be removed if found.
Fox News’ Gary Gastelu contributed to this report.