Although security systems in cars have improved, thefts are still common. Now the news from the United States is also that the thieves Kia and Hyundai reveals that it focuses on models of its brands.

According to the Wall Street Journal 2011 to 2021 The keys of some Kia models released between 2016 and 2021 and some Hyundai models released between 2016 and 2021 have a condition that will facilitate theft. It is stated that these vehicles do not have systems that prevent keyless operation and use traditional keys. For this reason, thefts are said to be increasing in the country.

Videos circulating on social media are increasing thefts

According to police statements in the state of Illinois, authorities have been using Kia and Hyundai models since early July. 642 registered theft. The fact that this number was still 74 in the same period last year also made clear how strong the increase was.

The authorities are behind this serious increase. videos circulating on social media thinks so. About this in the press release,This increase is said to be related to videos on social media showing people how to start cars without a key. Thieves target cars with physical keys, not cars with keyless keys. expressions are used.

The aforementioned videos TikTok and YouTube It is possible to say that there is some content that has recently gone viral in such media. In videos; it shows how to enter vehicles with things like screwdrivers, USB cables and how to power these cars. Police add that the videos, allegedly from a group called the Kia Boyz, were first spotted in 2020, when restrictions kicked in due to the pandemic.

Authorities said many measures have been taken, such as more police patrols, warnings to people, stickers to mark the cars in question. After that, August saw a 22% and 36% drop in Kia and Hyundai thefts in Milwaukee. Thefts in the same region were up 183% in the first eight months of 2021 compared to the previous period.

Kia and Hyundai launch ‘steering lock’ anti-theft function

Although authorities blamed the companies, Hyundai and Kia said they were aware of the problem and were taking precautions. Companies are concerned about viral videos and thefts on social media, for the safety of users with older models. ‘lock steering wheel’ stated that they had made the feature available. Hyundai added that an anti-theft security kit will be released on October 1.

Although the event took place in the US, we know that the vehicles of these brands are also very popular in our country. Therefore, people with vehicles that operate with conventional keys should be careful about this type of theft.

A video made by a YouTuber on the subject: