The Old-School Club May Be the Best Answer to TikTok-Inspired Car Thefts

by Chris Teague

Published: March 31st, 2023

the old school club may be the best answer to tiktok inspired car thefts

Beyond infecting the minds of young people and potentially opening dangerous back-door data access to Americans’ phones, TikTok has also gifted the world with the knowledge of how to steal older Hyundai and Kia models easily. The problem has gotten so bad that some insurers won’t cover the cars, and owners have been left scrambling for a fix. The Korean automakers have a few ideas, including issuing free steering wheel locks and upgrading the anti-theft software on millions of vehicles.

Several Hyundai and Kia models are vulnerable to the issue, and some municipalities have reported that the majority of stolen vehicles come from one of the manufacturers. To help prevent thefts, Hyundai Motor Company is giving owners steering wheel locks, which make the cars harder to steal. While they’re not foolproof, the locks can create enough of a deterrent to make thieves look elsewhere.

Hyundai and Kia are issuing software upgrades to patch some of the vulnerabilities that allow the TikTok-inspired thefts, and said they had covered one million vehicles so far. Another three million vehicles can receive the update in the future, and the automakers said they would reimburse owners for steering wheel locks they’ve already purchased.

Without an immobilizer, thieves can steal the vehicles by removing the plastic steering column covers and inserting a USB cable. The videos went viral on TikTok, amassing millions of views and enlightening would-be car thieves to a new honeypot. Stealing a Hyundai or Kia with this method is so easy that police say thieves can get into the vehicle and drive off in under 30 seconds.

[Image: Hyundai]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.

#Kia #Hyundai #Tiktok #CarThefts

Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

More by Chris Teague

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 29 comments

Thehyundaigarage on Apr 03, 2023

I wonder how much longer it’s going to be before TikTok videos about all the other key start vehicles you can steal come out. Many brands lack immobilizers, not just Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

It’s stupid that Hyundai and Kia didn’t equip key start models with immobilizers, but other brands have done so too.

When we install remote starters, the application guides list “Canadian market” or “US market” vehicles, as it’s not legally required to be there for the US. Hyundais, Kias and certain Toyotas and Nissans lack immobilizers.

Here in Canada, no immobilizer from factory=you don’t get to sell your cars here..

I guess $20 in savings per car in parts savings ads up pretty quick

Like Reply
Zipper69 on Apr 04, 2023

2017 Sportage

Like Reply

Recent Comments

28-Cars-Later "Inside EVs sent automotive journalist Kevin Williams to the Beijing Auto Show, and Williams walked away feeling like Chinese automakers are, generally speaking, building cars that could come to the States and immediately steal plenty of buyers from American, European, Japanese, and Korean automakers."I doubt this very much because: [list=1][*]Conventional drivetrains are not gonna fly and the Chinese are not going to pay to federalize whatever they're selling in Asia (or they would have by now).[/*][*]Until emissions rules for BEV are drawn up (and I'm sure top men are working on that now) it would be easier to resell BEV Asian market product in the US but you're mostly competing for Tesla owners/fans unless you come in and undercut everyone by 50% or more to grow the market. [/*][/list=1]BEV is not taking off folks, the 7% or so (roughly VWoA, Volvo, and Mazda's historic market share) isn't suddenly going to double or triple at current price to value. If PRC brands were to come in with new commuters at $14,995 and then nickle-and-dime for basic features (i.e. the RyanAir model) its a maybe but they won't. They'll come in 5% under the leaders for MSRP and then wonder why their dealer lots are ghost towns (I'm sure whatever dipsh!t dealer group opens a store for them will add ADM on like clowns too).
Kjhkjlhkjhkljh kljhjkhjklhkjh weird.. nobody wants to be a cop after cops get held accountable.. And no, this has nothing to do with the ''urban myth of defunding'', the funding reductions in this very article come from a reduction in crime during the pandemic (googlze)... and the voting ''people'' of Floridia not allowing funding increases in a vastly right leaning state, and desantis himself rejecting federal funding according to the googlze ... only top have desantis then TAKE covid relief funds from ARPA (also googlze) .. have fun .. wont be reading any replies since this will bring out all the conspiracy theories, secret cabals, gay mice and gay beer book burners
The Oracle Seems fruitless, Tesla’s German giga presses will be churning out front & rear chassis/body modules in no time, and in record numbers.
Jeff The Chinese automakers have come to other markets but I doubt they will be allowed in the US at least anytime soon. Most of the Chinese plants are newer and more automated than the US plants and they have learned how to build vehicles from the US and other automakers. Its a combination of Chinese Government support for their automakers and that Chinese automakers have improved their quality and have more automated and modern plants. US automakers and others are losing market share to Chinese automakers in the Chinese market.
Chris P Bacon I've only seen a few of them on the road so far. Do you think the transmission makes a difference? I'm not interested in anything with a CVT, so the base models are a no go, and the top model is just too pricey. Maybe as a certified pre-owned? My local dealer has a 23 Platinum AWD with 4k miles listed for $48k. Not that it's an issue for Toyota, but it's got 31 months of warranty left, plus another 12 month/12k miles. The dealer is including 4 years/50k miles service. If I were in the market, I'd take a look.