Over the past two years, stories about vehicles made by Kia and Hyundai being stolen have dominated headlines.
This is because, due to a manufacturing issue, the cars were relatively easy to start without a key, leading to the “Kia Boyz” trend in which people posted videos of themselves stealing the cars.
In the years since, however, both companies have implemented fixes to these issues, releasing security updates and theft deterrent devices that studies are showing to be effective at reducing the number of stolen vehicles.
When a vehicle has been upgraded with this software and this device, the driver has the option of putting a sticker on their car window to show that the car has been modified to make it significantly more difficult to steal. This, in theory, should deter thieves—but as TikTok user Blair (@beejay696969) recently noted in a post with over 314,000 views, this isn’t always the case.
Can security-upgraded Hyundai cars still be stolen?
In her post, Blair explains how, in March 2023, her 2016 Tucson was stolen in Chicago. Following this, she decided to get the company’s anti-theft technology, with stickers indicating that fact posted in every window.
Despite this, she recently visited her car and discovered that someone had smashed in a window and attempted to steal her car. While they were unable to get away with it, she says the car is now no longer drivable.
“They attempted to steal my car despite the warning stickers,” she writes in the text overlaying the post.
She later adds, “My PSA is that if you can, please find other ways to secure your car (steering wheel lock, restricted access garage, etc.). I regret assuming that the warnings and news reporting would be enough.”
While the damage was significant, it appears that the anti-theft technology did, in fact, prevent the car from being stolen—however, the stickers alone were not enough to prevent thieves from trying.
How common is this?
Some people in the comments section alleged that they had the same experience.
“THIS happened to me exactly!I even have the same color! They stole it in november of last year,” recalled a user. “Got it back,got the anti theft lock update,2 weeks later they broke THAT SAME WINDOW but couldn’t take it.”
Interestingly, this trend appears to be supported by data.
While thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles are down, AutoBlog notes that “vandalism claims were more common for the Hyundais and Kias equipped with the new anti-theft software than those without,” which, per AutoBlog, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) attributes to “failed theft attempts, which typically leave you with broken windows, damage to the steering column and more.”
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, many users said that, while they liked their Kia and Hyundai vehicles, the risk of theft either made them or is presently persuading them to buy a new car.
“My Tuscon has been broken in 3 times. Stickers and upgrades each time. I was given an anti theft lock for my stirring wheel after the last time. So far so good,” wrote a user. “I’m sorry this has happened to you.”
“Literally sold my newer Kia for a 2002 Toyota when I moved to the city bc I could not deal if this happens to me,” said another.
“Yep, one of my coworkers had that happen. Someone stole her car in the middle of the night and trashed it but insurance covered the repairs so she immediately traded it in when she got it back,” stated a third.
Others said they’re opting for alternative brands to avoid theft.
“My elantra almost got stolen twice. I sold it and bought a Toyota,” one viewer wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Hyundai via email and Blair via TikTok DM and comment.
Update 9:49 am ET Nov. 26: In an email to the Daily Dot, a Hyundai spokesperson said, “Hyundai continues to offer free anti-theft software updates to customers visiting a Hyundai dealership. The process takes less than less than 30 minutes. We have upgraded close to one million vehicles to date and are not aware of any confirmed failures of the software; it is working as designed to stop the method of theft popularized on social media.”
Update Dec. 6, 2024:
In a TikTok direct message exchange with the Daily Dot, Blair offered a bit of history about her experience with the car and this specific break-in.
“When I bought the car in 2022, the dealership installed mandatory tracking on the car. We didn’t know why… until Hyundai thefts spiked,” she explained. “It was a precautionary measure. So, when it was stolen March 2023, the tracking company worked with police, but police waited until the car stopped moving for a while to retrieve it. Therefore, there was no chance of catching the perps.”
“Fast forward to this [incident], the only evidence I had was that the tracking software made note of my car being powered on at 5:16am, but I highly doubt the police will do anything about it,” she continued.
As far as what more Hyundai can do to prevent this from happening, Blair offered the following.
“Maybe a solution Hyundai could consider is installing tracking (that only the owner can see) for higher success of recovery, or with the security upgrade, creating a more sensitive alarm,” she wrote. “The current anti-theft technology is supposed to engage an engine kill-switch when the car is not unlocked by the genuine key. This may be a stretch, but even some kind of software that could notify the owner’s phone when these attempts to start the car occur would be extremely helpful.”
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