PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Kia is offering free anti-theft software upgrades to vehicles now regularly targeted by thieves using a technique popularized on TikTok and other social media platforms. People in the Philadelphia area who own Kia vehicles that use a steel key and “turn-to-start” ignition system — not a wireless “smart key” transponder — are invited to get the software upgrade Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“We've been working very, very closely with law enforcement all over the country, especially there in Philadelphia. We wanted to make sure we understood the problem from law enforcement and how we can support their efforts,” said James Bell with Kia America.
“What we've learned from police is that anything that injects time or concern into a thief process is what they don't want.”
Bell says, in city after city, most of the Kia thefts seem to be committed by teenagers who have found instructions on TikTok and YouTube for how to start stolen vehicles without a key.
“And that's why we went right to work with our engineering team in Korea to come up with this software upgrade,” he said.
Theft rates of the affected cars soared after thieves turned to social media to teach others how to start the cars using only USB cables and a screwdriver by exploiting a security vulnerability in some models sold in the U.S. without engine immobilizers, a standard feature on most cars since the 1990s that prevents the engine from starting without the key being present.
Bell says the software upgrade basically mimics the activity of an immobilizer.
“And so we run the alarm for an extended period of time and also then digitally, basically, suspend this ignition system for an extended period of time,” he said.
Affected Kia models
—2018-2022 Accent
—2011-2022 Elantra
—2013-2020 Elantra GT
—2013-2014 Genesis Coupe
—2018-2022 Kona
—2020-2021 Palisade
—2013-2022 Santa Fe
—2013-2018 Santa Fe Sport
—2019 Santa Fe XL
—2011-2019 Sonata
—2011-2022 Tucson
—2012-2017 and 2019-2021 Veloster
—2020-2021 Venue
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration encourages owners of these vehicles to contact Kia at 800-333-4542 for information on the free update.