The two brands are hoping to end the Kia Challenge with a $200 million settlement.
We told you about it last February, over the past few months, Kia and Hyundai vehicles have been the subject of a “Kia Challenge”. A popular challenge with some TikTok users is to steal a vehicle from these brands. This act was greatly facilitated by an insufficient immobilizer system on several Kia and Hyundai models: a simple USB cable is enough to start certain vehicles (subject to accessing the interior of the vehicle by breaking a window, incidentally) . In reaction to a class action lawsuit in the United States, Hyundai and Kia have validated a settlement of 200 million dollars.
A flaw popularized because of social networks
This flaw was known to thieves since the beginning of 2021 or so. However, it took on another dimension on July 12, 2022, with the publication of a “tutorial” video on TikTok. This showed how to start certain Kia (models released between 2011 and 2021) and Hyundai (models released between 2015 and 2021) vehicles – those without push-button starters and immobilizers – with a simple USB cable once inside the vehicle. The maneuver can be done in a few tens of seconds for an experienced thief.
The video with the keyword #KiaBoyz was quickly emulated, especially in the United States. Individuals, sometimes very young, stole Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
There was no nationwide nationwide tally. However, to get an idea of the scale, in the city of Milwaukee (Wisconsin), the number of stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles has increased, according to the police, from 469 and 462 respectively in 2020 to 3,557 and 3,406 in 2021. (long before the practice became popular on the social network, therefore).
In addition to the damage caused to the owners of these vehicles, these thefts carried out by teenagers have been the cause of numerous road accidents. They would have directly caused at least eight deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
9 million vehicles affected, but none in France
Faced with this phenomenon, TikTok tried to delete the videos. For their part, Hyndai and Kia reported that approximately 9 million vehicles (3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias) in circulation in the United States “are or were likely to be the subject of these thefts. promoted through social media.
For a few months, the two manufacturers have been offering physical security kits intended to solve the problem. They also provide free anti-theft software updates for eligible vehicles. The information campaign addressed to holders of eligible vehicles should be completed at the end of May.
Regarding the $200 million settlement, according to the two Hyundai Motor Group brands, this agreement, “ which could be valued at approximately $200 million depending on the number of customers who choose to participate, will compensate customers who have suffered loss or damage related to the theft of their vehicle and not covered by insurance , in addition to reimbursement of insurance deductibles, increased insurance premiums and other losses related to theft “.
As part of this settlement, the software update will be automatically installed during any service or maintenance appointment that brings the owner of an eligible vehicle to the dealership; For owners of vehicles not eligible for the software update, the agreement provides reimbursement of up to $300 for the purchase of various anti-theft devices, the automakers said in their statement.
Finally, as mentioned in the previous news on this subject, don’t worry if you are in France: targeted anti-theft systems are specific to vehicles marketed in the United States.
Sources: hyundai, NPR
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