Hyundai And Kia Offer Free Software Updates To Combat Tiktok

Hyundai And Kia Offer Free Software Updates To Combat Tiktok-Inspired Car Thefts. Hyundai and Kia are providing free software updates for millions of their cars in response to a trend of car thefts sparked by a viral social media challenge on TikTok. The challenge, dubbed the “Kia Challenge,” involves thieves known as “the Kia Boyz” posting videos on how to bypass the security systems of certain 2015-2019 Hyundai and Kia vehicles using basic tools like a USB cable. This method is possible because many of these vehicles lack electronic immobilizers that prevent thieves from easily breaking in and bypassing the ignition.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the challenge has resulted in hundreds of car thefts nationwide, with at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities. As a result, Hyundai and Kia are offering to update the “theft alarm software logic” on their vehicles, increasing the length of the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute, and requiring a key in the ignition switch to start the vehicle.

The software update modifies specific vehicle control modules on Hyundai vehicles that use the standard “turn-key-to-start” ignition system. Once the doors are locked with the key fob, the factory alarm will be activated, and an “ignition kill” feature will prevent the vehicles from being started if thieves attempt to use the popularized theft mode. Customers will need to use the key fob to unlock their vehicles and deactivate the “ignition kill” feature.

Owners of approximately 3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias are eligible for the software update free of charge, totaling 8.3 million cars. Vehicle owners are advised to take their cars to a local dealership, where technicians will install the upgrades in less than an hour. The updated vehicles will also receive a window decal indicating that they have been equipped with anti-theft technology.

While there is no nationwide count of the number of Hyundai and Kia vehicles that have been stolen due to the challenge, statistics from individual cities demonstrate the viral nature of the trend. For example, in Milwaukee, police report that 469 Kias and 426 Hyundais were stolen in 2020. These numbers rose to 3,557 Kias and 3,406 Hyundais the following year, according to NPR.

Initially, Hyundai was charging owners at least $170 for security kits to resolve the issue. With installation and labor, these costs could rise to $500. Hyundai and Kia were also providing some owners with wheel locks to prevent thefts, and the companies have given out 26,000 wheel locks since November 2022, according to the NTSA. Eligible vehicle models for the update include the 2017-2020 Elantra, 2015-2019 Sonata, and 2020-2021 Venue vehicles, with other models like Kona, Palisade, and Santa Fe vehicles receiving the update starting in June 2023. Customers can use the provided website to determine when their vehicle is eligible for the upgrade. Kia will roll out its phased approach later this month.