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Kia and Hyundai thefts in Philly outpace other car manufacturers, thanks to a TikTok challenge

Car thefts overall have more than doubled in Philadelphia from 2019 to 2022, but Kia and Hyundai saw nearly 800% and 400% increases over the same period.

Amy Nieves-Renz had her 2018 Kia Soul stolen right before Thanksgiving, she is shown here with the vehicle, on her block in Philadelphia.
Amy Nieves-Renz had her 2018 Kia Soul stolen right before Thanksgiving, she is shown here with the vehicle, on her block in Philadelphia.Read moreJessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

Thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles are rising faster than those of any other manufacturer in Philadelphia after a viral TikTok trend explained how to steal them with just a USB cable and a screwdriver.

Car thefts overall have more than doubled in Philadelphia from 2019 to 2022, and most car brands common in the city saw similar increases in reported thefts. But Kia and Hyundai saw nearly 800% and 400% respective spikes in theft reports over the same period, buoyed by the rise of the Kia Boyz Challenge.

The TikTok challenge captured “For You” pages during summer 2022 as a group of Milwaukee teens earned notoriety for building an almost mythic ring of car thieves focused exclusively on Kia and Hyundais. An analysis by The Inquirer found that the trend hit Philadelphia in the last quarter of 2022, when tallies of Kia and Hyundai thefts roughly doubled each month.

Now, the Kia Boyz Challenge has left residents without a sense of a safety as TikTok, the car manufacturers, and law enforcement agencies struggle to build a centralized response.

» READ MORE: A national TikTok trend is sparking thefts of Kias and Hyundais in Philadelphia — and residents are feeling the impact

TikTok said in a statement it is working to remove videos that glorify car theft. Amid a class action lawsuit that alleges the car manufacturers ignored standard theft protections, Kia and Hyundai announced a slate of security software updates that would make it impossible to start older cars without a key in the ignition. Both brands also started a program that provides local law enforcement agencies with steering wheel locks to distribute free of charge.

North Philadelphia’s 35th police district will be distributing steering wheel locks as part of Kia and Hyundai’s programs on Feb. 28.