Hyundai and Kia are facing a host of class action lawsuits across various states in the United States due to the ease at which many of their vehicles can be stolen.
Thefts of certain Hyundai and Kia models produced from 2011 to 2021 have soared in the wake of social media challenges and the rise of the ‘Kia Boys,’ offering easy-to-follow instructional videos on how to steal vehicles. Vehicles that are particularly vulnerable are those with a traditional mechanical key and lacking an engine immobilizer.
Eager to see just how easy it is to steal one of the affected Hyundai and Kia models, Donut Media borrowed an Elantra and set about stealing it. As it turns out, it is shockingly simple.
Read Also: Hyundai Starts Selling Third-Party Security Kit To Slow Rampant Thefts In The U.S.
The first thing you have to do is pop off the plastic cover directly behind the steering wheel. This can be done by removing two screws but if you yank hard enough, the plastic clips break and the cover can be pulled off without a screwdriver. Once that’s done, you can easily access the ignition cylinder and proceed to push in a little pin, separating it into two pieces.
Remove the first piece where you would ordinarily insert a key and you are left with a cylinder that has a little piece of exposed metal. Jam the end of a USB cable onto that piece of metal and you’re done. All that’s left to do is turn the USB cable as if it was a key and the car will start straight up.
Donut Media suggests that Hyundai and Kia were likely looking to cut costs when they developed the overly simple ignition cylinder installed in many of its vehicles.
Hyundai recently announced that owners of impacted models will be able to purchase a third-party security kit from dealerships for $170 to add an extra layer of safety. However, vehicle owners won’t just need to pay for the kit itself but will have to cough up upwards of $500 to have it installed. Kia has not yet announced plans to offer a similar security kit but has joined Hyundai in distributing wheel locks to owners in certain areas.
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