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Lodi police are looking into the possibility that a viral TikTok challenge led to a deadly car crash. That challenge shows how to easily steal certain Kia and Hyundai car models without a key.
NEW YORK — Jonnifer Neal’s Kia was stolen twice in one day — first from in front of her Chicago home and later from outside the mechanic shop where she took it to get fixed.
A stolen car shows damage to its steering wheel column and ignition assembly April 20 in North Las Vegas. A sharp uptick in thefts of Hyundais and Kias over the past two years has been linked to viral videos posted to TikTok and other social media platforms that teach people how to exploit a security vulnerability to steal the cars.
But Neal’s ordeal didn’t end there. After her car was recovered a month later, she was stopped by police twice coming home from work because a police error caused the Optima to remain listed as stolen. The same error resulted in officers waking her up at 3 a.m. another night. On yet another occasion, a swarm of officers pulled her over as she was traveling to Mississippi, handcuffing and placing her in the back of a cruiser for more than an hour.
The Kia now sits in her garage.
“It’s been a few months, but honestly I’m still nervous,” Neal said. “I drive that car maybe once in a blue moon and I loved that car.”
Neal’s story is one of thousands from Kia and Hyundai owners across the country whose cars were stolen or damaged in the past two years.
The sharp uptick has been linked to viral videos, posted to TikTok and other social media platforms, teaching people how to start the cars with USB cables and exploit a security vulnerability in some models sold in the U.S. without engine immobilizers, a standard feature on most cars since the 1990s preventing the engine from starting unless the key is present.
But unlike some social media-driven trends that seemingly disappear just as police get a handle on them, the car thefts have continued. Hyundai has tried to work with TikTok and other platforms to remove the videos, but as new ones surface fresh waves of thefts occur, illustrating the lingering effects of dangerous content that gains traction with teens looking for ways to go viral.
It’s a phenomenon known as performance crime. Police departments in a dozen cities have said it factors into an increase they’ve seen in juveniles arrested or charged with car thefts. Still, criminology experts caution that the role teens are playing in the theft increases — which began during the pandemic and aren’t limited to Kia and Hyundai — may be artificially inflated because teenagers inexperienced at crime are more likely to be caught.
Attorneys general from 17 states have called on federal regulators to issue a mandatory recall, arguing the voluntary software fixes issued by the companies aren’t enough. Multiple cities including Baltimore, Milwaukee and New York have filed or announced plans to join legal action against the automakers, which also are facing class-action and civil lawsuits from consumers like Neal. One such lawsuit was settled for roughly $200 million last week.
The National Highway and Safety Administration blames the trend for at least 14 crashes and eight fatalities, but lawyers suing the carmakers say the number is likely much higher.
Damaged car parts that need to be replaced after the car was stolen in April in North Las Vegas.
Morgan Kornfeind was driving to a yoga class in Portland, Oregon, at the end of March when a man in a stolen Kia barreled into her as he drove the wrong way while fleeing police. The 25-year-old suffered lacerations, broken bones and extensive injuries to her leg. She needed surgery and attends multiple medical appointments every week.
“I’m unable to work my job that I love dearly. I’m unable to practice yoga or walk my dogs. I’ve missed planned trips with friends because of my ongoing rehab. The idea of ever driving again causes me great distress,” she wrote in a statement.
Earlier this month in Milwaukee, a stolen Kia collided with a school bus, leaving a 15-year-old who was hanging out the window in critical condition. Police later arrested four 14-year-olds, one of whom allegedly was driving.
Many of the calls for accountability have been directed at the automakers. MLG Attorneys at Law, a California law firm specializing in automotive defect lawsuits, has received more than 4,000 inquiries from victims like Kornfeind.
“And the amazing thing is it’s not slowing down,” said Randy Shrewsberry, MLG chief strategy officer.
But some police departments, victims and the automakers also point the finger at social media platforms. Videos posted on YouTube in recent weeks show people breaking into various cars or using a USB cable to hotwire cars. The company removed the videos when notified by The Associated Press.
A TikTok spokesperson pushed back on assertions that many of the dangerous challenges mentioned in news reports had reached mass popularity on the platform.
“There is no evidence any of these challenges ever ‘trended’ on TikTok, and there is a clear documented history that many challenges falsely associated with TikTok pre-date the platform entirely,” TikTok spokesperson Ben Rathe said.
Hany Farid, who stepped down in January from TikTok’s U.S. content advisory council because he felt unable to affect change, said TikTok tends to be defensive when criticized for its content moderation practices. He acknowledged the challenge of knowing where some trends originate because content moves quickly between platforms.
“It’s very much a Whack-A-Mole problem,” said Farid, a digital forensics expert at the University of California, Berkeley. “Because these platforms were not designed to be safe for kids, or for anybody.”
Dive into the wild world of the #KiaChallenge – where hot-wiring and car thefts run rampant. Will this Kia Challenge affect your car insurance premiums? If you are a proud owner of a Kia or Hyundai, you should listen up and grab a seat (preferably one with a seatbelt).
If you’re like, “Huh? What’s that?” don’t feel bad because many are in the same boat. Some wild hot-wiring and car theft shenanigans are going on with Kia and Hyundai rides on TikTok.
It all started in 2021, when the “Kia Boyz” began taking advantage of a security flaw in some cars in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Kia Challenge began when a video became popular in the summer of 2022. This led teens to steal certain Kia and Hyundai models, leaving them behind or destroying them. The video on the social media app TikTok shows how to take advantage of a design flaw in the car so that it can be stolen with just a USB cord and some knowledge.
This challenge was not a harmless joke and had a negative impact on people’s lives. Even for those who didn’t have their cars stolen, Way.com compiled information about how the challenge had the effect of higher auto insurance rates.
It’s been quite a nightmare for those who own these rides. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 8.3 million cars were at risk.
Kia and Hyundai are working on software updates to fix the problem, but the NHTSA warns that many of these cars are still in danger. So, if you own one of these cars, the Kia Challenge is still officially on. So be aware.
In the summer of 2022, when the Kia Challenge video started getting shared on video-sharing sites, thefts of certain Kia and Hyundai types outside of Wisconsin increased greatly. Since January 2022, cities nationwide have seen huge jumps in the number of stolen Kia and Hyundai cars, like a 484% rise in Columbus, Ohio, a 767% rise in Chicago, IL, and a 1300% rise in St. Paul, MN.
In Milwaukee, the number of stolen cars increased by 172% in 2021.
The cars are easier to steal because the materials used to make some models between 2011 and 2021 were of lesser quality. Thieves are going after Hyundai cars made between 2015 and 2021.
Insurance companies can put cars on what is called a “blacklist.” Pay attention if you drive a Kia or Hyundai car made between 2015 and 2021. This may affect you.
Insurance companies will no longer cover some models from Kia and Hyundai because they think they are too easy to steal.
This means that, based on where you live, you won’t be able to get insurance for one of these models with these companies. If you already have a contract with one of these insurance companies, they may not renew it when the term ends.
Check below for the complete list of targeted cars:
– 2015-2021 Hyundai Accent (all body styles)
– 2015-2021 Hyundai Elantra (two-door and four-door)
– 2015-2021 Hyundai Kona
– 2015-2021 Hyundai Santa Fe
– 2015-2021 Hyundai Tucson
– 2015-2018 Hyundai Veloster
– 2015-2021 Kia Forte
– 2015-2021 Kia Optima
– 2015-2016 Kia Optima Hybrid
– 2015-2021 Kia Rio (all body styles)
– 2015-2021 Kia Sedona
– 2015-2016 Kia Sorento
– 2015-2021 Kia Soul
– 2015-2021 Kia Sportage
Some model dates are unaffected because some had engine immobilizers built in when they came out. For example, the Kia Optima Hybrid got this option in 2016.
State Farm said that because these models were being stolen more often, it would no longer take applications from new customers in “some states.” In the same way, Progressive’s statement said that they had raised their rates and stopped selling new insurance policies for some of these models in some areas.
A rise in the number or frequency of claims can make it hard for a company to pay out claims if it keeps its rates the same to reflect the higher risk of loss. A rise in the cost or severity of claims can also put a lot of pressure on loss costs, which means that rates need to be changed to ensure that premiums are enough to cover future losses.
The Kia Challenge is happening during high external inflation. This could affect the industry’s future rates.
If you drive one of the above cars, insurance isn’t the only thing you must worry about. You’ll also need to do things to keep your car safe. Hyundai said in a statement that they were making changes to the software. This is to make it harder to steal their cars. On February 14, 2023, Hyundai sent software changes to Elantras from 2017 to 2020, Sonatas from 2015 to 2019, and Venues from 2020 to 2021. Kia aimed to release their software updates by the end of February.
With the update, the car alarm will go off longer, and the key must be in the ignition switch for the car to start.
Hyundai has broadened a program that sends steering wheel locks that prevent theft to police stations so drivers can get them. If you drive one of these cars, you can check with the local police to see if that is a choice.
Ultimately, asking your insurance company is the best way to determine if you have been affected. If you already have a policy with one of these companies and drive one of the affected models, you can ask them if they plan to renew your insurance. If they tell you no, you can start planning to switch to a different carrier.
Kia Challenge is not just a car theft craze on TikTok. It’s also got some serious butterfly effect-style ripple effects. The Kia Challenge isn’t just a viral trend. Eventually, it’s a real-life example of how one thing can lead to another. Eventually, before you know it, your insurance rates are through the roof.
This story was produced by Way.com and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
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Lodi police are looking into the possibility that a viral TikTok challenge led to a deadly car crash. That challenge shows how to easily steal…
A stolen car shows damage to its steering wheel column and ignition assembly April 20 in North Las Vegas. A sharp uptick in thefts of Hyundais and Kias over the past two years has been linked to viral videos posted to TikTok and other social media platforms that teach people how to exploit a security vulnerability to steal the cars.
Damaged car parts that need to be replaced after the car was stolen in April in North Las Vegas.
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