Kia Finally Offering Too Little, Too Late Solution to Grand Rapids Drivers Affected By Thefts

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.

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.

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?

A recent statement released from Kia states,

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.