Kia Challenge car theft trend begins

JUL 12 2022

A TikTok video posted on 12 July 2022 demonstrated starting certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles using a USB connector and a screwdriver, exploiting the absence of an engine immobiliser in many 2011-2021 US-built models. The technique had circulated among Milwaukee thieves since 2021, but the video drove it nationwide, producing enormous theft spikes in multiple cities. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has linked the trend to at least eight deaths.