Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Kia
It already feels like the Kia Boys phenomenon will never come to an end, or at least not as long as teenagers can still find unpatched cars on the road.
Police in Rochester, NY, recently spotted a group of five children (yes, children, you read it right) riding in a Kia that was reported as stolen, so they attempted to stop the vehicle.
As it typically happens in similar cases involving the Kia Boys, the children in the vehicle didn't want to stop, so they started a multi-agency chase that eventually involved the Irondequoit, Rochester, and New York State police departments.
Everybody knows that such chases don't take forever, and it's a matter of time until the driver is caught. The chase ended abruptly when the Kia popped a tire, and the Kia Boys did what they knew best: they tried to run away on foot.
Police caught three of the five children and claim they are continuing the search for the remaining two, so it's a matter of time before the group is reunited. However, it'll be interesting to see what happens next, as these cases often end with the children being released and sent home.
The Kia Boys operate by taking advantage of a vulnerability in certain Kia and Hyundai models. The lack of an immobilizer allows thieves to start the engine by hotwiring the car, and police say a Kia Boy needs only 25 seconds to drive away in a vulnerable vehicle. Kia Boys typically approach vehicles, break the side window, get inside the car, and rip off the steering wheel column to expose the wires.
Kia and Hyundai have already released software updates to prevent theft, but the biggest challenge is now to convince all owners to install it. The two carmakers are setting up software clinics across the United States, and customers are requested to bring their cars for a 30-minute update. Once the software update is installed, a thief can no longer start the engine without the key.
However, the software patch doesn't prevent the Kia Boys from breaking a car's windows and attempting to drive away in the car. Police say car owners should install steering wheel locks and park in well-lit areas, so it'd become more obvious for a Kia Boy that driving away in a vehicle wouldn't be possible. Kia and Hyundai also give away stickers to indicate the vehicles have been patched, but the Kia Boys don't seem to care about them, as they typically ignore the stickers.
The carmakers say customers should check out their websites for information about the next software update clinics, insisting on installing the patch as soon as possible to prevent the Kia Boys from driving away in vehicles in less than half a minute.
As it typically happens in similar cases involving the Kia Boys, the children in the vehicle didn't want to stop, so they started a multi-agency chase that eventually involved the Irondequoit, Rochester, and New York State police departments.
Everybody knows that such chases don't take forever, and it's a matter of time until the driver is caught. The chase ended abruptly when the Kia popped a tire, and the Kia Boys did what they knew best: they tried to run away on foot.
Police caught three of the five children and claim they are continuing the search for the remaining two, so it's a matter of time before the group is reunited. However, it'll be interesting to see what happens next, as these cases often end with the children being released and sent home.
The Kia Boys operate by taking advantage of a vulnerability in certain Kia and Hyundai models. The lack of an immobilizer allows thieves to start the engine by hotwiring the car, and police say a Kia Boy needs only 25 seconds to drive away in a vulnerable vehicle. Kia Boys typically approach vehicles, break the side window, get inside the car, and rip off the steering wheel column to expose the wires.
Kia and Hyundai have already released software updates to prevent theft, but the biggest challenge is now to convince all owners to install it. The two carmakers are setting up software clinics across the United States, and customers are requested to bring their cars for a 30-minute update. Once the software update is installed, a thief can no longer start the engine without the key.
However, the software patch doesn't prevent the Kia Boys from breaking a car's windows and attempting to drive away in the car. Police say car owners should install steering wheel locks and park in well-lit areas, so it'd become more obvious for a Kia Boy that driving away in a vehicle wouldn't be possible. Kia and Hyundai also give away stickers to indicate the vehicles have been patched, but the Kia Boys don't seem to care about them, as they typically ignore the stickers.
The carmakers say customers should check out their websites for information about the next software update clinics, insisting on installing the patch as soon as possible to prevent the Kia Boys from driving away in vehicles in less than half a minute.
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