For several weeks, the Kia Challenge has been wreaking havoc in the United States. As a reminder, this challenge, which has gone viral on TikTok, encourages users to steal Kia and Hyundai brand cars. Faced with the multiplication of thefts, many American cities have decided to file a complaint against the two manufacturers.
We have mentioned this subject several times in our columns. For several months now, a challenge that has gone viral on TikTok has been wreaking havoc. This is the infamous Kia Challenge, a wonderfully silly challenge that entices users to steal Kia and Hyundai brand cars. To make the process easier, tutorials are available on the web and explains how to override the security systems of these vehicles.
As a result, thefts have increased exponentially in many American cities, to such an extent that the municipalities have decided to take legal action against the two builders. Since the beginning of 2023, the cities of Seattle, Baltimore, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, but also Columbus and New York have filed complaints against Kia and Hyundai.
US cities gang up on Hyundai and Kia
They blame both brands for selling cars without an engine immobilizer, a technology that prevents the engine from starting with a key not recognized by the system. Without this security, stealing Hyundais and Kias made between 2015 and 2020 is child’s playespecially popular models like the Accent, Rio and Sportage.
Dozens of insurance companies also filed lawsuits against Kia and Hyundai, arguing that the lack of engine immobilizers constituted a violation of federal regulations. As reported by our colleagues from Vice, the city of Chicago is the last city to have filed a complaint.
Also read: TikTok – 4 teenagers killed in a car accident after participating in the “Kia Challenge”
Flights will continue to explode in 2023
According to the American municipality, more than 8,800 Kia and Hyundai vehicles were stolen in 2022, accounting for no less than 41% of all car thefts reported in the city over the year. An impressive figure, especially when you know the brand’s cars represent only 7% of the number of vehicles in circulation in Chicago.
And according to a press release from the city, the situation will only get worse in 2023. According to recorded figures, Kias and Hyundais already represent more than half of all stolen cars… In Seattle, thefts exploded by 620% between July 2021 and July 2022. Similar observation in Baltimore, where the city has triggered a lawsuit after thefts doubled between 2021 and 2022. The year 2023 will be, according to the municipality, a disastersince the thefts of Kia and Hyundai have already exceeded the figure recorded for the whole of 2022…
In New York, authorities have listed 977 thefts in the first four months of 2023 alone. A record increase of 660% compared to the same period in 2022. But of course, the prize goes to Milwaukee, the epicenter of the Kia Challenge. Indeed, the big city of Wisconsin shows a frightening percentage: + 2,500% of thefts in 2023! To give you an idea of the extent of the phenomenon, this represents 16 Kia and Hyundai stolen per day.
Hyundai and Kia defend themselves from any breach
There is an increase in flights, to a lesser extent, in Los Angeles, Detroit, Norfolk, Burlington, Portland, Oregon, Charlotte, Omaha, or even Louisville and St Paul. For his part, James Bell, spokesperson for Kia, believes that the various lawsuits filed by US municipalities are “unfounded”. At Hyundai, the line of defense is the same: “all of our vehicles are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements”.
In addition, he specifies that the NHTSA, the American federal agency in charge of road safety, has determined that the manufacturer has not violated any safety standards or regulations in force. As our colleagues from Vice point out, the two offending manufacturers recently spoke with the NHTSA to take stock of the situation, but for the moment, we do not yet know the conclusions of these exchanges.
At the time of writing these lines, owners of the more targeted models can get steering wheel locks with local police. The two manufacturers have also deployed a software update supposed to improve vehicle safety, but you have to go to a dealership to take advantage of it.
Source: Vice (Motherboard)