Since April of this year, Kia and Hyundai drivers around West Michigan have been plagued with thefts thanks to the TikTok Kia Boyz trend. Over 600 people have reported their vehicles stolen, some of them having their car stolen more than once.

FOX 17 via YouTube
FOX 17 via YouTube
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How did a bunch of kids cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in Grand Theft Auto damage? Well, they used a youtube video to learn how to steal these vehicles easily due to the fact they are missing a key anti-theft chip that most modern cars offer.

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Evgen_Prozhyrko
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Police and victims of the thefts alike have been asking for a solution to the problem that Kia has left the door open for, and finally they're offering a solution that is leaving some saying it's too little, too late.

What solution has Kia offered for the thefts?

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Ebay
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A recent statement released from Kia states,

Kia America is working to provide steering wheel lock devices at no cost to law enforcement in affected areas to deter vandalism and theft. That effort will continue in close coordination with local police departments for distribution to concerned owners of Kia vehicles not originally equipped with an immobilizer.

Kia customers with questions regarding their specific vehicle should contact the Consumer Assistance center directly at 1-800-333-4542(4Kia).

While Hyundai also released a similar statement due to the same issues surrounding their vehicles. They're also offering two additional options for drivers:

  1. Hyundai has released a glass break sensor security kit that targets the method of entry used by thieves to break into these vehicles. These kits are available for purchase and installation at Hyundai dealerships and Compustar authorized installers across the country. The MSRP for the kit is $170, and the estimated cost for installation may vary by location.

  2. Hyundai is also developing a software update to further secure these targeted vehicles. We anticipate that this software update will become available for certain vehicles in the first half of 2023, with updates for other vehicles following thereafter.

But, are these anti-theft devices enough? Unfortunately, it may not be, since some of the thieves have thwarted these options previously. But hey, at least it's a step in the right direction even if it's later than anyone could have asked for.

The 25 Michigan Towns Where Your Stuff is Most Likely to Be Stolen

Using FBI crime data from 2019, we've identified the 25 cities in Michigan where you're most likely to have your stuff stolen (or set on fire.) Many on the list are no-brainers since they're some of our biggest cities, but there are a few on there that might surprise you.

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