The rates of theft of new cars produced by Hyundai and Kia in the United States have increased at the hands of teenagers, coinciding with the spread of videos on how to start them without a key on social media networks, especially the "TikTok" app, according to a report published by "The New York Times".

The report added that one-third of car thefts in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, are due to the absence of the feature to prevent engine start without a key, pointing out that some operations require only a screwdriver and a USB cable, and basic knowledge of how to use the internal wires under the steering wheel to start the car.

The report stated that "the entire method can be obtained through videos spread on social media networks," explaining that most cars produced by the two companies are due to weak security settings, which prompted American cities to file lawsuits against them.

Representatives of "TikTok" and "YouTube" also clarified that many videos related to what was called the "Kia Challenge" have been deleted during the past months, while "YouTube" stated that some videos remain on the platform without deletion for the purpose of "awareness" considering them as "documentary or scientific materials".

Escalation of operations:

"The New York Times" mentioned that at least one state has opened an extensive investigation into theft incidents, clarifying that more than 85 suspects of car thefts in Memphis are young teenagers aiming to show off and cruise the cars for short tours or to commit some crimes.

The report pointed out that 11,000 cars were stolen last year in Memphis, which is double the car theft rate in 2021.

The two companies also sent steering wheel locks to police departments across the United States to distribute to affected car owners for free, confirming the "security problem has been fixed" and the launch of a free software update for the cars exposed to theft, which number 4.5 million Kia cars and 3.8 million Hyundai cars.

The head of the Memphis police department, Cerilyn Davis, stated that the department is aware of the "escalation of teenagers' car theft operations," motivated by showing off or participating in the new trend, as they see doing so is easy.

The two Korean companies "Kia" and "Hyundai" captured 10% of the car market sales in the United States during 2022.