Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Kia subreddit
Hyundai and Kia didn't release statistics to reveal how many eligible owners installed the anti-theft update for the infamous Kia Boys vulnerability, but the companies say the patch has already been deployed on millions of vehicles.
That doesn't seem to be a problem for the Kia Boys. They're always trying to adapt, and now they've started breaking into cars without even caring if they're patched. If they're not, they do the classic thing and drive away in the vehicle, typically wrecking it minutes later. If they are, that's fine, they still record the failed carjacking, leaving damage worth hundreds or thousands of dollars behind.
Several readers told me following a recent Kia Boys story that the nightmare continues in their regions, with the Kia Boys, which includes teens as young as 10, breaking the windows of their cars for Internet views.
I also got links to discussion threads from Kia and Hyundai owners in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the Kia Boys trend seems to be on the rise approximately two years after it went viral. Someone explains that the infamous Kia Boys attempted to steal their mother's car, but because it was already patched, they couldn't drive away with it. They still broke it down, so it's now unusable, with the damage estimated to cost thousands of dollars.
Someone else explains how their car was stolen from the driveway by two teens aged 12 and 16. The police recovered the car, but the owners couldn't drive it for three months due to the damage caused when the Kia Boys drove it. The judge left both teens to go home, and the car owner explained that they are now facing significantly increased insurance rates.
The worst side of the story is that the Kia Boys break into cars without even caring if they are patched or not. Some owners believe that a bigger sticker would be a more effective deterrent, albeit it doesn't look like the Boys search for patching evidence before breaking a car's window.
Hyundai and Kia provide customers who patch their vehicles with a sticker informing potential thieves that the anti-theft software has already been installed. Patched cars are no longer vulnerable to the Kia challenge, which involves breaking into the car, ripping off the steering wheel column, and hotwiring the exposed cables.
Hyundai and Kia still urge customers to install the software update, while police in several regions give away steering wheel locks and AirTags to protect cars and recover them if they get stolen. Unfortunately, all these solutions still don't keep the Kia Boys away, as every Hyundai and Kia car on the road seems to carry a gigantic target on their backs.
Several readers told me following a recent Kia Boys story that the nightmare continues in their regions, with the Kia Boys, which includes teens as young as 10, breaking the windows of their cars for Internet views.
I also got links to discussion threads from Kia and Hyundai owners in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the Kia Boys trend seems to be on the rise approximately two years after it went viral. Someone explains that the infamous Kia Boys attempted to steal their mother's car, but because it was already patched, they couldn't drive away with it. They still broke it down, so it's now unusable, with the damage estimated to cost thousands of dollars.
Someone else explains how their car was stolen from the driveway by two teens aged 12 and 16. The police recovered the car, but the owners couldn't drive it for three months due to the damage caused when the Kia Boys drove it. The judge left both teens to go home, and the car owner explained that they are now facing significantly increased insurance rates.
The worst side of the story is that the Kia Boys break into cars without even caring if they are patched or not. Some owners believe that a bigger sticker would be a more effective deterrent, albeit it doesn't look like the Boys search for patching evidence before breaking a car's window.
Hyundai and Kia provide customers who patch their vehicles with a sticker informing potential thieves that the anti-theft software has already been installed. Patched cars are no longer vulnerable to the Kia challenge, which involves breaking into the car, ripping off the steering wheel column, and hotwiring the exposed cables.
Hyundai and Kia still urge customers to install the software update, while police in several regions give away steering wheel locks and AirTags to protect cars and recover them if they get stolen. Unfortunately, all these solutions still don't keep the Kia Boys away, as every Hyundai and Kia car on the road seems to carry a gigantic target on their backs.
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