A dangerous Tiktok challenge is making the rounds: young people steal relatively new vehicles and take life-threatening jaunts with them, which often end in fatal accidents.
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Dangerous Tiktok Challenge: Steal a car and cause an accident with it
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A new TikTok challenge is causing unrest in the United States among owners of vehicles from South Korean manufacturers Kia and Hyundai. This “Kia Challenge” among mostly male youths is about stealing a Kia or Hyundai and taking the stolen car for a spin. The thieves film these often hair-raising journeys with the stolen cars, during which the thieves disregard all traffic rules and ruthlessly endanger other road users, and distribute their videos via Tiktok. The trips with the stolen vehicles are said to have already resulted in deaths and injuries. Apparently, the reckless ride in the stolen car and the accident it caused are also part of the challenge.
In the US city of Milwaukee, the number of thefts from Kias and Hyundais is said to have increased by an incredible 2,500 percent, according to US media reports. There is talk of 30 stolen Kias or Hyundais per day.
Screwdriver and USB cable is enough
According to a BR report, the theft of the vehicles should be so easy because a standard USB cable is sufficient to start the vehicles. Apparently, only part of the steering wheel column cover has to be removed with a screwdriver and the USB cable then plugged into an existing pin. The car can then be started without a key.
Slightly older Kias or Hyundais built up to 2021 do not yet have an immobilizer in the USA and can therefore be cracked easily. The corresponding instructions for this are circulating on the Internet. Kia now wants to offer security locks for retrofitting.
For Kia or Hyundai owners in Germany there is no need to worry. In this country, electronic immobilizers have long been required by law and are therefore installed in vehicles.
