The Kia Challenge is a viral TikTok trend to which a series of motor vehicle thefts is attributed, targeting Kia and Hyundai vehicles in the United States manufactured between 2011 and 2021. The trend, which began in October 2022, has led to eight fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. [1]
| Brand | Model | Model years |
|---|---|---|
| Hyundai | Accent | 2015–2021 |
| Elantra | ||
| Kona | ||
| Santa Fe | ||
| Tucson | ||
| Veloster | 2015–2018 | |
| Kia | Forte | 2015–2021 |
| Optima | ||
| Optima Hybrid | 2015–2016 | |
| Rio | 2015–2021 | |
| Sedona | ||
| Sorento | 2015–2016 | |
| Soul | 2015–2021 | |
| Sportage |
Until 2011, most Kia vehicles were manufactured with immobilizers—electronic security devices that prevent the engine from being started unless a proper key is inserted—a system present in most Hyundai vehicles until 2016. [3] In Kia Sportage models manufactured in 2010, the immobilizer system comprised a transponder in the ignition key, an antenna coil in the key cylinder, and a SMARTRA unit. [4] Kia vehicles manufactured from 2011 to 2021 and Hyundai vehicles manufactured from 2016 to 2021 that use a steel key, in comparison to a key fob and a push-button start mechanism, lack immobilizers. [5]
In February 2021, Milwaukee, Wisconsin began experiencing an increase in reckless driving and car thefts, particularly cars manufactured by Kia and Hyundai. In response, the Milwaukee Police Department began offering free steering-wheel locks to owners. [6] A Traffic Safety Unit was formed in March. [7] In June, a 16-year-old was killed and five other teenagers were injured following a police pursuit. [8]
The perpetrators of these car thefts remained isolated until a video circulated in August showing an unidentified driver nearly striking pedestrians at John Marshall High School, when some began using hashtags identifying themselves as members of the "Kia Boys" or "Kia Boyz". Members of the Kia Boyz were depicted in a documentary uploaded to YouTube in May 2022; the video depicts a stolen red 2021 Hyundai Elantra from Hertz. Police identified the driver as 17-year-old Markell Hughes and arrested him in June. [9] In 2023, he was again accused of driving another stolen car. [10]
A video was posted on TikTok on July 12, 2022, where the author uses a USB connector on a naked key slot and successfully starts a car. [11] This vulnerability exists on a type of ignition switch used in many Kia/Hyundai cars sold until 2021, which are not equipped with an immobilizer system. [12] The video was taken down on July 25. [11]
In Brisbane, two Kia cars were damaged by Kia Challenge participants in failed attempts to steal the vehicles. [13] This is despite the vulnerability not existing in Australian cars manufactured since 2001. [14]
On November 11, 2023, a senior woman in Summerland, British Columbia had her car severely damaged, with the words "Kia Boys Failed" and other vulgar language written on it. The vandals targeted her car due to its make, and it is suspected that they returned to steal the vehicle after the initial vandalism. [15]
In Los Angeles, the trend has been linked to an 85% increase in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles in 2022 compared to 2021. In Chicago, thefts of the affected vehicle models increased by over nine times, and children as young as 11 years of age were reported to have participated in these thefts. [16]
On October 23, 2022, six teenagers aged 14 to 19 stole a Kia Sportage in Buffalo, New York. Four of the teenagers were killed when they subsequently crashed the stolen car. The Buffalo Police Department linked the incident to the Kia Challenge. [17]
On December 2, 2023 five teenagers in Lakewood, Washington were driving in a stolen Kia Sportage with at least three guns in their possession. [18] Lakewood police attempted to stop the vehicle after receiving reports that it was stolen, and would later cite the "Kia Boyz" online trend for the crime. [18] One of the occupants, a 16-year-old boy, drowned in a Lakewood swamp while fleeing the police. [18] A 14-year-old and 17-year-old were charged; two others including an adult remain at large. [18]
TikTok has committed to removing pertinent videos uploaded by Kia Challenge thieves from the platform. Kia and Hyundai have both expressed awareness of the increased thefts of their vehicles, with Kia also noting that new vehicles starting with their 2022 model year now come with immobilizers installed. [11]
Starting February 14, 2023, Hyundai introduced a free anti-theft software patch for some models of vehicle, and by June 23, all remaining eligible vehicles will have a patch that can be installed at a Hyundai dealership. Some models are unable to be upgraded, and instead customers will be reimbursed for steering wheel locks. [19]
To settle a class-action lawsuit in the United States against Hyundai and Kia, the two brands agreed to pay about US$200 million, of which up to $145 million would offset out-of-pocket losses that car owners had incurred. The settlement was announced on May 18, 2023, and requires approval by a federal judge. [20] However, it was rejected by federal judge James V. Selna. [21]
The Hyundai Motor Company, often referred to as Hyundai Motors, and commonly known as Hyundai, is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, which was founded in 1967. Currently, the company owns 33.88 percent of Kia Corporation, and fully owns two marques including its luxury cars subsidiary, Genesis, and their electric vehicle brand Ioniq. The three brands altogether make up the Hyundai Motor Group.
Kia Corporation is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second largest automobile manufacturer, after its parent company, Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 2.8 million vehicles in 2019. As of 2015, Kia is owned by Hyundai, which holds a 33.88% stake valued at just over US$6 billion. Kia in turn is a minority owner of more than twenty Hyundai subsidiaries ranging from 4.9% up to 45.37%, totaling more than US$8.3 billion.
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle. Nationwide in the United States in 2020, there were 810,400 vehicles reported stolen, up from 724,872 in 2019. Property losses due to motor vehicle theft in 2020 were estimated at $7.4 billion. There were 505,100 car thefts in the EU in 2019, a 43% decrease from 2008.
The Kia Sportage is a series of automobiles manufactured by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 1993 through five generations. Initially a compact SUV built on a body-on-frame chassis, the second-generation Sportage transitioned to a car-based platform which placed it into the compact crossover SUV class, and has been developed alongside the Hyundai Tucson. Since the fifth-generation model launched in 2021, Kia developed the Sportage in two sizes with different wheelbase lengths for different markets.
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The Kia K5, formerly known as the Kia Optima, is a mid-size car manufactured by Kia since 2000 and marketed globally through various nameplates. First generation cars were mostly marketed as the Optima, although the Kia Magentis name was used in Europe and Canada when sales began there in 2002. For the second-generation models, Kia used the Kia Lotze and Kia K5 name for the South Korean market, and the Magentis name globally, except in the United States, Canada, Malaysia and the Middle East, where the Optima name was retained until the 2021 model year. The K5 name is used for all markets since the introduction of the fifth generation in 2019.
An immobiliser or immobilizer is an electronic security device fitted to a motor vehicle that prevents the engine from being started unless the correct key is present. This prevents the vehicle from being "hot wired" after entry has been achieved and thus reduces motor vehicle theft. Research shows that the uniform application of immobilisers reduced the rate of car theft by 40%.
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Kia Canada is a company formed in 1999 as a subsidiary of Kia Motors Corporation serving the Canadian market. It is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, where it employs approximately 180 people. Kia Canada is best known for its mid-market lineup of sport utility vehicles and crossovers, which are midway in size between SUVs and ordinary sedans, and increasingly for its electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. In 2021, Kia Canada introduced a new logo and slogan, "Movement that inspires". As of 2021, Kia Canada sold nearly 80,000 vehicles a year.
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Lakewood police mentioned the "Kia Boyz" in police reports, court records show, referencing a national trend where teenagers steal cars, sometimes at gunpoint.