Hyundai and Kia are forced to update millions of cars following a TikTok challenge that resulted in the theft of thousands of vehicles and the deaths of eight people.

Last summer, members of the group dubbed the Kia Boyz came up with the idea of ​​making it easy to steal basic Hyundai and Kia cars that open with a key rather than a button. They launched the " Kia Challenge " on TikTok , urging users to open and enter these car models.

However, several months later, there was a noticeable increase in car thefts of both brands in the United States, prompting the Hyundai Group to take action. They decided to update 8.3 million cars in North America for free to prevent these crimes.

Without a key, the car won't start: goodbye to the USB trick

The Kia Boyz came up with an easy trick to start Hyundai and Kia car models that are not equipped with a start button, but rather a key. They were able to start the car by inserting a USB drive into the start system , which allowed them to complete the " Kia Challenge " without a major.

TikTok videos have led to increased thefts of brand name car models in the United States, especially in Los Angeles (California) and Milwaukee (Wisconsin). However, the problem became even more alarming as the challenge encouraged pleasure thefts. Since the challenge was launched, at least 14 crashes have been reported, resulting in a total of eight fatalities, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

In response to this worrying situation, the Hyundai Group had to limit its losses and will offer an update free of charge to more than 8 million car owners in the United States, approximately 3.8 million Hyundai and 4.5 million Kia, to prevent them from being stolen using the 'Kia Challenge' method.

The modifications focus on the car's software settings, requiring the driver to insert the key into the ignition for the car to start. If the key is not detected, the car will not turn on. Additionally, the anti-theft alarm has also been improved to ring for one minute instead of 30 seconds.

This free update has already started and will be rolled out gradually. Since mid-February, the Hyundai Elantra (2017-2020), Sonata (2015-2019) and Venue (2020-2021) models have been updated. From June this year, the Hyundai Santa Fe, Palisade and Kona models will also be updated. Kia will soon announce its own schedule.

Users can check when the update is set for their model by looking at their vehicle identification number (VIN) or by calling the toll-free number published by NHTSA . Updates will be performed at dealerships or partners of both brands and will take less than an hour.

Prior to the introduction of the free update, a $170 security solution was available to prevent this method of theft, in addition to labor costs of up to $500, as reported by The Verge .

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Given that there are millions of cars affected, the auto conglomerate likely did the math and concluded that it was a worthy investment, despite the risk to brand image associated with such easy thefts. Shortly after the TikTok challenge, Kia announced that all 2022 models would come with an immobilizer as standard.