TikTok Challenge Results In Targeted Theft Of Hyundai And Kia Cars Across Nashville
Image Credit: Navigator84 / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
TikTok continues to significantly impact the behavior of its users on and off the platform, even after the “Shoot Up Your School” TikTok challenge led to multiple arrests back in 2021.
In fact, a harmful trend that began over a year ago continues to impact folks across the country and Tennesseans are no exception.
Back in April of this year, three people in Antioch reported their Hyundai or Kia stolen and thefts have only continued to occur since the emergence of a TikTok trend called “The Kia Challenge.”
This TikTok challenge incentivizes young people on social media to steal cars off the street by breaking into the car, popping off the steering wheel column, and hot wiring the vehicle using a USB cable.
The vehicles targeted by this trend are certain makes and models of 2010-2021 Kia and Hyundai cars that use a mechanical key to start the car, instead of a key fob and push-button like most new vehicle models.
Videos have continued to spread showing other users, step-by-step, how to steal the vehicles.
According to various law enforcement officers and victims of the theft, many of the stolen vehicles are used for joyrides, damaged, destroyed, and left on the side of a road somewhere.
“I heard my [expletive] hit 50k in one day,” said one Milwaukee teen after getting caught.
17-year-old Markell Hughes was arrested after appearing in a “Kia Boys Documentary.” The hashtag #kiaboys now has tens of millions of views on TikTok.
“The viral nature of how this has taken off on social media – it’s accelerated this like we’ve never seen,” said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart when asked about the situation in Chicago. “[The perpetrators are] doing it in 20 to 30 seconds.”
Dart told CNBC that the thieves he’s seeing are mainly young teens, some not even old enough to apply for a driver’s license.
According to Sound Extreme and Nashville Car Alarm Owner Ben Cunningham, the problem is that American-made Hyundai and Kia vehicle owners are dealing with an unfortunate design flaw. The vehicles being stolen do not have immobilizers.
“Without an immobilizer, they know they can start the car through the ignition,” said Cunningham. “With an immobilizer, it’s going to cut off the fuel pump and the car will not start.”
The car alarm specialist suggested that car owners add an alarm system, steering wheel lock, or location device to their at-risk vehicles.
Cunningham has been trying to make the public aware of this issue since last year, and he isn’t the only one.
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Michelle Henry put out an official consumer alert on March 16th of this year, warning car owners of the continuing instances of theft.
Last Thursday, Metro Nashville Police posted to their Twitter account saying that, “There has been nearly a 200% increase in stolen Hyundai & Kia vehicles since this time last year.”
Within the last year, 245 of these vehicle models were attempted stolen and a whopping 417 have been successfully stolen in the Nashville area since July of 2022.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
But..but..but…what about those license plate readers the police just had to have that were going to cut down on all the car thefts and car jacking (somehow?)? Don’t they work?
Don’t be a douche.