The Horror Stories of Hyundai and Kia Owners Hit by the Kia Boys

As weird as this might sound for someone who never heard of the Kia Boys or the Kia Challenge, this is exactly what has been happening for the past three years. Teenagers as young as 10 or even 9 try to steal cars because they think it's cool.

They wear masks and are typically warmed with USB cords. They carry mobile phones to record their stunts and post them online. They sometimes do live streams to show their audience how easy it is to steal a Hyundai or Kia. The most experienced only need 25 seconds to break the glass, hotwire the car, and drive away. They are that good.

The Kia Challenge started after a viral video posted on TikTok taught the audience – mostly teenagers – how to steal certain Kias and Hyundais lacking immobilizers. The step-by-step guide was so popular that teenagers just had to try it. And not only have they tried it, but they enjoyed the experience, and now they are unstoppable.

Data shared by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) puts Kia and Hyundai at the top of the list of cars stolen in the United States in 2023. The number of thefts targeting Kia and Hyundai increased 1000% last year, and the Hyundai Elantra was number one with 48,445 reported thefts. The Hyundai Sonata was the runner-up with 42,813 thefts, followed by the Kia Optima with 30,204 thefts.

Kia and Hyundai account for six of the ten most stolen cars in 2023.

The two carmakers have already released anti-theft updates that are supposed to block thieves from starting the engine. The process (I'll explain it as vaguely as possible for obvious reasons) involves breaking the glass, ripping off the steering wheel column cover, exposing the ignition, and using a USB cable to start the engine.

The anti-theft update works, Kia and Hyundai claim, and their numbers show that the rate at which their cars are stolen has fallen by more than half. Their challenge is now to convince all owners to install the update and provide owners whose cars aren't eligible for the software update with a steering wheel lock.

Despite all these efforts, the Kia Boys are everywhere we look. People keep complaining that teenagers steal their cars, with or without the update, with or without a steering wheel lock. The nightmare continues, and today, I'll present you the horror stories of the victims of the Kia Boys.

Our reader Paul Unser recently told me in a comment to a story on the Kia Boys that he was a victim of this trend despite having a steering wheel lock. He says he contacted the police, but the officers told him the club was useless "since they figured a way to just break it off."

Someone on reddit says their 2013 Kia, which couldn't get the software update, was also stolen despite the steering wheel lock. "The club only adds about 30 seconds to the process with a good saw or angle grinder," they say.

Teresa Martinez told me, without sharing more specifics, that her car was stolen "out of my front yard" after installing the update. This sounds awful, and more people complain about the same thing on Reddit.

Another thread on social media started by a Sportage owner details how their car was stolen for the second time. The first time, it happened without the software update, so the Sportage was almost a sitting duck in front of the Kia Boys. The second time, the Sportage already had the update and a steering wheel lock in place, and the thieves still managed to drive away.

Kia and Hyundai owners must thoroughly read the instructions provided by the carmakers after installing the software update. The software update enables an ignition kill – meaning that the engine won't start – only if the doors are locked with the key fob. The ignition kill is activated after 30 seconds, not instantly after you lock the car.

People swear they use it according to these instructions, but the update doesn't prevent thieves from stealing their cars. Reddit user freshavocado16 explains that they installed the update, and after they parked the car, the car was gone in less than five minutes.

One Kia owner says they locked their vehicles with the key fob, but the Kia Boys still managed to start it with the old USB trick. They claim they contacted the dealership and were told that "there is a bypass on the vehicle that disarms the software update." No further specifics were shared, and I'm glad they weren't.

A recent viral TikTok video includes the stories of several Kia and Hyundai owners who got hit by the Kia Boys.

Lexigardocki says their Hyundai was stolen after installing the software update, but was told by the dealership to install a steering wheel lock. Miks says they updated the 20213 Kia Soul, and the engine no longer starts, while Space Cadet explains that their Hyundai Elantra was stolen not once but twice. They eventually decided to sell the car and get a Toyota.

Others were even more unfortunate. Nevaeh says their Tucson was stolen twice, but after recovering it the second time and installing the software update, the Kia Boys still managed to drive away in the vehicle. They totaled minutes later.

One commenter explains that their Sonata was broken into no less than six times, while someone reveals that their brother's Hyundai was targeted twice, got the software update, and eventually stolen on the third attempt despite a steering wheel lock in place. Heather Recore also says their Tucson was broken into but not stolen three times despite stickers and a steering wheel lock (as I told you not long ago, the Kia Boys don't care).

I'll end this story with the comment posted by Andrew K., who claims they work at a body shop in Chicago. "I have probably replaced 100-ish ignition and steering columns in the past 2-3 years."

Have you been hit by the Kia Boys? Share your story in the comment box after the jump.