Hyundai, Kia update software after rash of car thefts, some from TikTok challenge | CBC News

Hyundai and Kia are rolling out software updates to stem a raft of auto thefts related to a TikTok challenge that authorities say have led to at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities in the U.S.

The updates are free for millions of vehicles that are missing a key anti-theft device, a problem that was exploited on social media and led to rampant theft of the cars.

That problem does not affect Kia Canada vehicles, a company representative told CBC News, which have had anti-theft “electronic immobilization” since 2007. 

The software update extends the length of the theft alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute and requires the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the vehicle on.

About 3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias are eligible for the update, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tuesday.

Hyundai, Kia’s parent company, said updates began Tuesday for nearly four million vehicles, beginning with a million 2017-20 Elantras, 2015-19 Sonatas and 2020-21 Venues. The upgrade is scheduled to be available for the remaining eligible vehicles by June.

“We have prioritized the upgrade’s availability for owners and lessees of our highest-selling vehicles and those most targeted by thieves in order for dealers to service them first,” said Randy Parker, CEO of Hyundai Motor America.

Kia said it had already begun to update the software for some vehicles.

Seattle sues over thefts

In September, the Highway Loss Data Institute, a unit of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that Hyundais and Kias without immobilizers had a vehicle theft claim rate of 2.18 per 1,000 insured vehicle years. The rest of the industry combined had a rate of 1.21. An insured vehicle year is equal to one vehicle insured for one year.

The institute compared vehicles from the 2015 through 2019 model years. It studied vehicle theft claims from 2021.

Hyundai says all models produced after Nov. 1, 2021, have immobilizers as standard equipment.

A TikTok social media challenge put a spotlight on the vehicles’ lack of an immobilizer and resulted in at least 14 reported crashes and eight fatalities, according to the NHTSA. The challenge shows TikTok viewers how to hot-wire Kia and Hyundai cars with a USB cord and a screwdriver.

Hyundai and Kia will start the updates later this month, with subsequent phases over the next several months. Hyundai will also provide window stickers to vehicle owners that alert would-be thieves that the vehicle has anti-theft protection.

The City of Seattle last month sued Hyundai and Kia for failure to install anti-theft technology on some models.

“Kia and Hyundai chose to cut corners and cut costs at the expense of their customers and the public,” said Ann Davison, attorney for the city, in a statement. “As a result, our police force has had to tackle a huge rise in vehicle theft and related problems with already stretched resources.”

Seattle officials said thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars in July 2022 were 503 per cent and 363 per cent higher, respectively, than the same month the previous year.