Hyundai and Kia lost hundreds of millions in compensation for TikTok videos

A little less than a year ago, TikTok videos surfaced showing how to start a Hyundai or Kia with a simple trick. After the software change, South Korean automakers will also allocate up to $200 million to compensate victims of a string of auto thefts.

The TikTok videos explain how to start a Kia or Hyundai using a USB cable. In some places in the USA it even became a real challenge: “The Kia Boyz Challenge”.

Only Kias and Hyundais in the United States

Autovisie had previously contacted Hyundai and Kia about the security breach in the cars and the TikTok videos. Hyundai told Autovisie, “Hyundai models in Europe are not affected, so upgrading is not a problem.” Kia also said only American cars should get an update. These were cars manufactured between 2015 and 2019. More than 8 million Kias and Hyundais in the US have previously been promised an upgrade that should solve the problems shown in the TikTok videos.

Much more theft through TikTok videos

The TikTok videos were quickly viewed as a serious problem, and the numbers show it. Last year, Hyundai and Kia vehicles were stolen in the United States almost twice as often as cars from other manufacturers of the same model year.

South Korean automakers are now settling a number of claims from parties that went to court over the matter. It’s up to the judge to approve this deal.