Viral movies breaking down how automobile thieves can steal sure Hyundai and Kia automobiles are going to finish up costing these two automobile firms large time.
Hyundai and Kia have agreed to a $200 million settlement of a category motion lawsuit relating to a rise in automobile thefts of its automobiles. On the coronary heart of the problem are a collection of viral movies that had been uploaded to TikTok and YouTube by a gaggle generally known as the “Kia Boyz.” These movies confirmed viewers how one can break into sure Hyundai and Kia fashions that lack “push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft gadgets.”
The movies took off on social media in 2021, with youngsters as younger as 12 subsequently participating within the “Kia Problem,” in keeping with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Movies had been quickly uploaded on TikTok and YouTube by teenagers utilizing the academic movies, which clarify that the automobile thefts might be carried out with not more than a USB cable. The movies had been uploaded utilizing hashtags akin to #theKiaboys and #Kiaboyz.
As The Verge factors out, there are no nationwide tallies of what number of Hyundai and Kia automobiles had been stolen. Nonetheless, NPR has some astonishing numbers of how the “Kia Problem” affected particular person cities. Police in Milwaukee reported that 469 Kias and 426 Hyundais had been stolen in 2020. In 2021, these stolen car numbers jumped to three,557 Kias and three,406 Hyundais.
In response to the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA), these automobile thefts have resulted in 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities.
Round 9 million U.S. Hyundai and Kia homeowners are lined by the settlement. As much as $145 million will likely be used to compensate those that had their automobile stolen. 8.3 million automobiles will obtain a software program improve to shut the safety concern. For automobiles the place the software program improve can’t be utilized to, the automobile firms will provide the proprietor as much as $300 to allow them to buy steering wheel locks or different automobile theft deterrents.
