Hyundai, Kia owners face threat of theft due to social media challenge

Kia and Hyundai owners across the country are fed up. This year some cities have seen a sharp rise in the theft of these vehicles. In Minneapolis, police say it’s all because of a social media challenge.    

Police say thieves are targeting these vehicles because they are much easier to steal. Kia and Hyundai models made between 2010 and 2021 without a push button to start can be hot-wired with only a USB cable and a screwdriver, Fox Business reports.    

A stolen car is the last thing anyone wants to deal with. But a car is stolen three times in one year? That's a nightmare come true for Azaela Wilburg since she purchased her Kia Sportage last May.

"Each time they found it (it’s) the same damage, back windows popped, steering column shredded, things missing. The second time there were condoms and lube in the car, used," Wilburg said. 

After repairing it twice this year, she’s out of money to fix it again.  

"With this third theft, it’s gotten incredibly expensive, so now I’m reduced to Lyfts and the kindness of my friends until I can come up with a couple of grand to give to my mechanic. It’s been an absolute hassle and ruining my finances," Wilburg said. 

In December, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said kids stealing these cars are as young as 12.

"This problem started because a Tik Tok challenge happened earlier this year which was prevalent around young people," O’Hara said.

Videos on social media show people stealing cars and taking off with them, sometimes driving recklessly through city streets.

In Philadelphia, 21 per cent of the stolen cars in 2022 were Kias or Hyundais. In Minneapolis, the most updated police data shows 33 per cent of the cars stolen this year have been Hyundais and Kias. In Columbus, Ohio, it was nearly 45 percent. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49 percent. And in Milwaukee, Kias and Hyundais made up a whopping 58 per cent of stolen cars.

"I’m mad because people are treating this like a game, and it’s affecting people’s quality of life," Colleen Meyer said.

Meyers’ Hyundai was stolen Halloween night in the Twin Cities, and she now uses a steering wheel lock to deter thieves.

"I think some of them are juveniles, if that’s the problem we just keep letting them do it because we don’t want to give them a bad rep," Meyer said.

O’Hara says it’s children that are involved in these crimes.

"It’s absolutely tragic because what they are learning is that they can be involved in this, they can be riding in one of these cars and even if police pick them up, they are immediately released," O’Hara said. "I’m not saying children need to be held and detained, but I am saying we can’t just release kids with no effective means to support them.

Minneapolis police said they are "doing everything they can from a law enforcement side" to stop these crimes, but Fox is still waiting on exact details of what they are doing.