Kia and Hyundai both showed a giant improvement in theft numbers, a study said Getty The companies were caught in the middle of a social media trend that scared some owners Getty
Research from the Highway Loss Data Institute suggested that vehicle thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles recently declined precipitously, according to Fortune .
Theft rates were cut in half since the companies started implementing new tech in older cars, the studies found.
In March 2024, the companies both started adding new key starter technology that makes it more difficult to start a car without an exact key in the ignition.
The companies also started adding window decals to warn about the improved anti-theft tech.
“It makes me feel great that they are trying to prevent this from happening to someone else,” one Kia owner, Maria Mata, said while getting free tech installed in her car at a pop-up in May, according to California-based Fox affiliate KMPH .
“And it’s not going to cost anything out of pocket.”
Several car models built by the brands between 2011 and 2022 were part of a TikTok trend called the Kia Boys.
The trend featured videos of young content creators, typically teen boys, hotwiring the older cars.
Kia and Hyundai vehicles typically featured standard car keys with a manual ignition switch.
Many vehicles in their lineup didn’t feature an engine immobilizer.
An immobilizer is an anti-theft device that stops cars from turning on until the car’s key or an exact duplicate is inside the cabin.
Once the drivers in the TikTok challenge bypassed the simple tech and procured the cars, they would often film themselves driving recklessly.
The trend coincided with a national spike in vehicle theft rates across the US during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kia and Hyundai faced lawsuits around their vehicles’ involvement in the thefts.
Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or 'classes,' a way to band together in court.
These suits are often brought by one or a few people who allege a company or other entity has wronged a large group of people.
When a suit becomes a class action, it extends to all “class members,” or people who may have similar complaints to those who filed the suit.
Companies often settle class actions – offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue further legal action by accepting money.
These payout agreements frequently include statements by the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.
Pollution, discrimination, or false advertising are a few examples of what can land a class action on a company’s doorstep.
Hyundai and Kia both said they didn’t admit wrongdoing in the settlement and reached the agreement to avoid a months-long legal battle.
According to the agreement, drivers who had their cars stolen and their vehicles were deemed a total loss are eligible to grab a one-time payment of up to $3,375.
They’re also eligible for a $375 insurance-related payment and a $250 reimbursement for other expenses.
Other Hyundai and Kia owners and leasees are eligible for a $50 payment that will cover the “purchase of a steering wheel lock or equivalent device.”
The deadline to submit an application for the payments is January 11, 2025.
“While no car can be made completely theft-proof, Kia continues to make steering wheel locks available to customers through interested local law enforcement agencies, subject to available supply, at no cost to concerned owners of these vehicles,” Kia said in a statement.
Hyundai added it “made engine immobilizers standard on all vehicles produced as of November 2021.”
Neither company immediately responded to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
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