Hyundai’s anti-theft update works, but thieves still try

When a viral trend remains popular years later, the creator is usually showered with global recognition. But that’s not the case with the Kia Challenge. The TikTok-based instructional video, created by Milwaukee teens, focused on stealing cars, specifically Kia and Hyundai vehicles. The rides were not only harmful, they were deadly. But a software update has proven to drastically reduce the number of vehicle thefts by the much-maligned South Korean automakers.

Electronic immobilizers, which prevent a vehicle from being started without a key, are generally a standard factory-fitted anti-theft device — at least for most automakers. But in Kia and Hyundai models produced as recently as 2023, an immobilizer wasn’t standard. Kudos to the kids, criminals though they are, for their ingenuity in discovering this missing security feature.

How big of a problem have the self-proclaimed “Kia Boyz” created? Detroit Free PressThe Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) reported that theft claims for Hyundai and Kia vehicles from the 2003-2023 model years increased 11-fold between the first half of 2020 and the first half of 2023. The Kia Boyz began thefts in early 2021.

But the software update won’t be available until early 2023. The automakers didn’t seem to show any urgency, telling owners to park in their garages or buy wheel locks like The Club. In one sweep, if you can call it that, Hyundai donated 80 of the legendary wheel locks to the Cleveland Police Department. Meanwhile, nearby Columbus reported 17 thefts of Hyundais and Kias per dayUltimately, carmakers offered to reimburse owners for out-of-pocket costs.

After the improved software was released, HLDI reported that vehicles with the free update installed had a 53% lower theft claim rate than those without it. All theft claims were included in the report, which included removed parts, stolen personal items and theft of a complete vehicle. With the new software, theft of a complete vehicle dropped by 64%. By July of this year, about 60% of eligible vehicles had received the update.

Although the gang of thieves originated in the American Midwest, related incidents have spread to Canada and Australia. Additional information from CBS News At its peak, at least 14 crashes and eight fatalities were linked to the challenge, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In total, the vulnerability affected about 9 million vehicles. The affected models spanned nearly the entire automaker’s lineup, from small cars to SUVs with three rows of seats. Hyundai and Kia were also named in a class action lawsuit by owners whose vehicles were stolen. Earlier this year, the automakers agreed to a $200 million settlement.

However, the new software is not a perfect or foolproof solution, and claims continue to be “increased” even for models with the new software installed, according to HLDI.

A Hyundai owner in Las Vegas used a wheel lock on his 2015 Elantra, but it “took some getting used to” after installing a software update, he said. Detroit Free Press. Instead of using a wheel lock, he thought that locking his car with a key was sufficient security. Nope — his vehicle was not only stolen, it was totaled. He has since replaced his completely wrecked Hyundai with a Nissan.

Overall, thefts from Hyundai and Kia vehicles have declined since the peak of the pandemic, but they still exceed the industry average, even after the anti-theft update. HLDI reminds owners to lock their vehicles with the remote, which activates the software-based immobilizer. The lock button or switch on the door handle does not.