Kia and Hyundai will spend millions fixing old cars to stop ‘Kia Boyz’ thefts

Kia and Hyundai will offer free repairs for millions of cars that lack anti-theft technology as part of a settlement with dozens of US states. The automakers agreed to outfit the roughly 9 million eligible cars sold between 2011 and 2022 with a zinc sleeve installed around the ignition cylinder to prevent the viral “Kia Boyz” thefts that required only a USB cable.

The repairs could cost up to $500 million, in addition to several million in restitution to Hyundai and Kia owners whose cars were damaged by thieves, the Associated Press reports. The automakers have also promised that all of their future cars will have an engine immobilizer, a piece of technology that prevents would-be thieves from bypassing the ignition.

The lack of an immobilizer, a relatively standard piece of tech in other cars, is why theft of Kia and Hyundai cars became so popular. Videos explaining how to steal Kia and Hyundai cars with a USB cable jammed into the ignition cylinder flooded social media platforms, as the so-called “Kia Challenge” led to a spike in thefts, and even fatal crashes.

The automakers previously agreed to pay $200 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over cars lacking electronic anti-theft immobilizers in 2023, and began rolling out a software-based immobilizer that appears to have reduced, but not eliminated, the theft problem. At the time, they only offered the zinc sleeve installation for cars that couldn’t get the software update, but now it will be available free of charge for millions more vehicles.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who launched the 2023 investigation resulting in the Tuesday settlement, called the situation a “crisis” that began “in a boardroom, traveled through the internet and ended up in tragic results when somebody stole those cars.”