Hundreds of thousands of Kia and Hyundai cars are stolen with a simple USB cable in the US. Blame it on a TikTok video.

The United States has been witnessing an unprecedented increase in car thefts in several cities over the past two years. This sudden increase is associated with The video, which “goes viral” on TikTok.

the video “Kia Challenge”, which debuted in 2021 and returned to the spotlight in July 2022, showed how to easily steal certain car models. Kia and Hyundai With just one USB cable.

TikTok acted quickly, removing it from its platform every time someone posted it. However, it wasn’t fast enough, as evidenced by data from stolen cars in some North American cities.

according to Business interested70% of the cars stolen in Milwaukee last year and 50% of the cars stolen in Chicago this year were from South Korean manufacturers.

The situation has become so critical that the two major auto insurers, State Farm and Progressive, Weak models are no longer covered From Kia and Hyundai. At the same time, dozens of class actions filed across the country are trying to get brands to recall vehicles or fix a vehicle vulnerability.

The flaw in question affects 2011 to 2021 Kia models and 2015 to 2021 Hyundai models. These vehicles do not exist. electronic immobilizer, A security device that uses a unique chip in a car key. Without this technology, a person could unscrew the steering column and insert the USB into the ignition.

Since the outbreak, Kia has added immobilizers to its 2022 models, and Hyundai has added them to cars manufactured since November 2021. Both Kia and Hyundai have also provided a free anti-theft software update.

However, many are wondering why manufacturers have not had this system in their car for longer. In 2015, 96% of vehicles from other manufacturers had the technology, unlike Only 26% of Kia and Hyundai cars.

Fortunately, electronic immobilizers Common in Europe Since the end of the 1990s, when the European Union decided that all new cars sold there were required to have this system.

“What really happened is Kia and Hyundai Chose to cut costs Attorney Ann Davison told Business Insider: