Kia and Hyundai vehicles without engine immobilizers in cars from 2021 and earlier are targeted because of relatively easy access. Getty

UPDATE Feb. 14, 2023 11:29 a.m. PT: Hyundai is offering a free software update to prevent thefts on certain targeted vehicles, starting Tuesday on nearly 4 million Hyundais on the road. The first million eligible cars are 2017 to 2020 Elantra, 2015 to 2019 Sonata and 2020 to 2021 Venue vehicles. Affected owners can bring in the car to Hyundai dealerships for the free anti-theft upgrade. It takes about an hour to install. Once updated a window decal will (hopefully) alert and deter thieves from targeting the vehicle.

The next batch of eligible vehicles will go in for the software update in June and includes a long list of Kia models, including:

  • 2018-2022 Accent
  • 2011-2016 Elantra
  • 2021-2022 Elantra
  • 2018-2020 Elantra GT
  • 2011-2014 Genesis Coupe
  • 2018-2022 Kona
  • 2020-2021 Palisade
  • 2013-2018 Santa Fe Sport
  • 2013-2022 Santa Fe
  • 2019 Santa Fe XL
  • 2011-2014 Sonata
  • 2011-2022 Tucson
  • 2012-2017, 2019-2021 Veloster

Some Hyundai vehicles from 2011 through 2022 do not support the software update, so Hyundai will reimburse owners for wheel lock purchases. Hyundai will continue to provide free steering wheel locks that owners can receive through local law enforcement agencies. A dedicated anti-theft resources website is up with a VIN check and other information.

Kia similarly is offering a software update and is notifying eligible customers over the next few months. Free wheel locks are also available through law enforcement. In a Tuesday statement, the company wrote, “Kia also remains concerned about incidents of car theft targeting certain Kia models, encouraged in some cases by social media content promoting criminal conduct, and is committed to supporting law enforcement and owners in addressing these crimes.”

The original story continues below.

It’s a tough time to be a Kia or Hyundai owner. 

Cars from 2021 and earlier are being targeted, especially in the Midwest in cities like Milwaukee and St. Louis, because of a missing steering wheel component that makes it easy to drive off with a simple hack. The keyless hack is spreading widely on social media to the point that Hyundai is selling an aftermarket security kit and both companies are developing a theft-prevention software update for next year.

These older, lower-cost models like the Kia Rio and Sportage and the Hyundai Accent have a traditional turn-key ignition but no engine immobilizer, which requires a matching chip in a key fob to start the engine. The thieves can quickly hotwire the system with something as simple as a USB cable once the ignition cover is pried off. The carjackings are part of a TikTok trend called the “Kia Challenge.” 

Hyundai Motor America responded in a statement, noting, “Unfortunately, our vehicles have been targeted in a coordinated effort on social media.” Kia acknowledged that “no car can be made completely theft-proof,” but the company is concerned about rising thefts in certain areas. Local media reports show that 66% of all cars stolen in Milwaukee in 2021 were Kias or Hyundais. 

2021 Kia Sportage
Older Kia Sportages are targeted in the thefts. Kia
2021 Hyundai Accent
The Hyundai Accent is a low-cost vehicle prime for the taking. Hyundai

Ramping Up Security 

All Hyundai and Kia vehicles after Nov. 1, 2021 come standard with the anti-theft immobilizer, so many 2022 models and all 2023 units are safe from the brazen thefts. But in 2021 alone Hyundai sold 738,081 vehicles with the Tucson, Santa Fe and Elantra as top-sellers.

For many owners (mostly affected are Kia vehicles from 2011 to 2021 that use a key to start the car and Hyundais from 2016 to 2021: Accent, Elantra, Elantra GT, Sonata, Veloster, Venue, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Sport, Santa Fe XL and Palisade) it’s gotten so bad that Hyundai and Kia have stepped in with a solution. 

Starting Saturday Hyundai started offering a Compustar Firstech glass-break sensor security kit at dealerships and Compustar locations, but customers will have to pay $170 for the kit and additional installation fees. 

What To Do…For Now

Meanwhile, steering wheel locks can prevent the Tik Tok-fueled thefts. Hyundai and Kia have distributed locks to police departments to offer a free deterrent to Hyundai and Kia owners. Hyundai’s newly available sensor kit is supposed to target how the thieves are gaining access to the cars. 

Both Kia and Hyundai said in an updated email statement this week that the companies are looking into updated software to prevent thefts for targeted vehicles. Hyundai estimated the update would be available in certain models in the first half of next year, with others following later in 2023.

Hyundai Kia Thefts
Head to a dealership to install a security kit for any vulnerable Hyundai or Kia vehicles, but it’s a $170 aftermarket purchase. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty

The Power of TikTok

The USB carjackings spread over TikTok and other social media channels with a group dubbed the “Kia Boys” claiming responsibility for the spate of thefts in many cities, which has grown well beyond the Midwest. One YouTuber interviewed members of the theft ring, many who are teenagers.

Lawsuits have started piling up for Kia and Hyundai because of the thefts. One class-action lawsuit is looking for vehicle owners to go after the carmakers for “manufacturing vehicles without a ‘car immobilizer system’” and “failing to thoroughly disclose the related safety concerns.” Automotive News tallied 15 suits filed by car owners across 14 states as of late September.