Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry is alerting Kia and Hyundai car owners of a recent trend fueled by social media that has resulted in several thefts. If you own one of these makes you may need to visit a dealership.
The TikTok challenge encourages viewers to steal a Kia or Hyundai vehicle using household items, exploiting the lack of software that prevents a car from starting without a key. To address this issue, Hyundai and Kia have begun releasing software updates that will resolve this problem.
The software updates are expected to be available to most affected vehicles by June 2023, and consumers may need to visit a Kia or Hyundai dealership to receive the software update.
Attorney General Henry appreciates Hyundai and Kia’s swift action in addressing this issue and their partnership with local law enforcement agencies to provide free steering wheel locks to affected vehicle owners.
Affected vehicles include the 2017-2020 Hyundai Elantras, 2015-2019 Hyundai Sonatas, and 2020-2021 Hyundai Venues.
If you own one of these vehicles, contact your local law enforcement agency to see if you are eligible for a free steering wheel lock. For more information on the software update, contact Hyundai at 800-633-5151 or Kia at 800-333-4542.
