Car concern Hyundai-Kia has reached an agreement with American justice and will pay 200 million dollars to end a class action started because more and more cars were stolen. Challenges on TikTok and YouTube also contributed to the scandal, where many took advantage of the vulnerability of the vehicles and managed to start the engine of randomly selected cars on the street.

The cars were vulnerable because they were not equipped with an anti-theft immobilizer, a device that disables certain functions of the car’s engine, making it impossible for it to be started by unauthorized persons.

Since there was no immobilizer, it was used by many, not only “professional” thieves, but also those who wanted to go viral on the Internet. In TikTok and YouTube, challenges have become very popular, where people with the help of a USB cable or a metal object manage to open the cars of strangers, start their engine and even drive with them.

The so-called “Kia Boyz” posted videos explaining in detail what they were doing and encouraging others to try it too. There have been several hundred cases in the US where Hyundai and Kia vehicles have been launched as part of this uninspired challenge.

The lawsuit began with the idea that the car group did not do enough to ensure that the cars could not be stolen.

Some demos have been removed from TikTok and YouTube. The automotive group will update the software for eligible models.

Thefts were possible because immobilizers were standard on only a quarter of the 2025-2019 Hyundai-Kia models, while other car brands had the device on almost all models.

Some car owners were given wheel locks.

Sources: The Verge, New York Times