New York sues Hyundai and Kia for thousands of car thefts committed by the “Kia Boyz”

The "Kia Challenge" posed a real problem for Hyundai and Kia because it allowed their cars to be stolen using a USB key that opens and starts the vehicle. This modus operandi has caused thefts as well as fatal accidents, in addition to the damage suffered by the owners.

As a result, a class action lawsuit was filed against the two builders last September. In addition, the city of New York, one of the most affected by these crimes, now joins this case.

It's important to remember that we're talking about the United States, where the focus is on the customer. This illustrates the difference in the speed with which Dieselgate compensation has been processed in North America compared to Europe.

Despite the solutions offered by Hyundai and Kia, the damage has already been done

The group known as the “Kia Boyz” recently released a tutorial video showing how easy it is to steal Hyundai Group cars using a USB drive. They then issued a challenge on TikTok to encourage others to do the same, leading to an increase in car thefts at Kia and Hyundai in recent months.

It should be noted that this method only works for cars that start with a key because they do not have an electronic immobilizer system, unlike those that use a button to start.

Some have filed a class action lawsuit in federal court in Orange County, California, claiming that the two automakers intentionally designed cars without an electronic immobilizer system.

This request was reinforced by the support of the city of New York, whose mayor expressed concern for the safety of citizens who rely on their Kia or Hyundai car for their daily lives.

The Hyundai Group in North America may have to pay millions of dollars in compensation for customers who have been deprived of their cars due to massive thefts from Kia and Hyundai. The consequences for owners of these cars have been devastating, such as the case of a Florida resident who lost his job after his Kia Optima was stolen, preventing him from going to work.

Thefts of these car models have increased exponentially in New York City, from 10 to 12 per month to around 100. Kia car thefts have increased by 890% and Hyundai's by 766% recently, according to the city.

The two brands have already taken steps to solve this problem by carrying out a free mass service which requires the insertion of the key to start the car, and also improving the anti-theft alarm which will sound for one minute instead of 30 seconds. current.

The vehicles affected are those produced between 2015 and 2021, as they are not equipped with an electronic start device. In addition, the Korean group recently implemented a free anti-theft steering wheel and refund offer for customers who purchased it recently, in an effort to prevent their cars from being stolen.

However, since many Americans have been affected by this problem, they feel that these solutions do not address the main problem: the lack of an immobilizer that made the theft possible.