A pattern that began final summer season, presumably associated to a TikTok problem, is educating individuals simply hot-wire Kia and Hyundai autos with only a screwdriver and a USB cable. Now, the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) has launched new steerage for Kia and Hyundai house owners to take to guard their vehicles from potential theft.
The TikTok pattern began with a “” video information the place a pair of masked people, known as “Kia Boyz,” confirmed hot-wire a Kia by opening the steering column with a screwdriver and sticking the USB into the ignition cylinder (which simply occurs to be the identical measurement) to show the ignition on. All Kia and Hyundai fashions manufactured between 2011 and 2021 don’t have engine-immobilizer techniques put in, in keeping with a class-action lawsuit, rendering them weak and targets by this producer defect.
What’s being performed for Kia and Hyundai house owners to guard towards theft?
In October, Hyundai got here out with a $170 package to guard the vehicles, with set up prices of as much as $500, in keeping with Vehicles.com. By December, the producers have been working with some police departments to supply free anti-theft steering-wheel locks to house owners of the affected Hyundai and Kia autos, in keeping with Automobile and Driver
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Now, the NHTSA has introduced that Hyundai and Kia have come out with a free safety software program replace resolution that updates the theft alarm software program to increase the size of the alarm from 30 seconds to at least one minute, and requires the important thing to be within the ignition change to show the automobile on.
In response to the NHTSA assertion, 3.8 million Hyundai and 4.5 million Kia are eligible for the software program replace. In response to the Affiliate Press, updates for Hyundai start first for his or her hottest and focused autos, about one million of the next fashions later this month:
- 2017-2020 Elantra
- 2015-2019 Sonata
- 2020-2021 Venue autos
The replace will probably be obtainable for the remaining autos, together with Kias, subsequently over phases for the following a number of months till June. Together with the software program replace, Hyundai is offering window stickers that can alert potential thieves that the automobile has the anti-theft safety.
You can too contact your native legislation enforcement to see if they’re one of many 77 legislation enforcement companies in 12 states offering free steering wheel locks.
How you can get the software program updates
The NHTSA announcement urges Hyundai house owners to name 800-633-5151 and Kia house owners to name 800-333-4542 for info on when and get their software program replace.
