SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Despite stories of teens exploiting security flaws in Hyundai vehicles circulating nationwide in recent months, some vehicle owners in Sacramento are still learning the hard way.
Old Sacramento resident Andreya Woo said she walked up to her 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe one morning a few weeks ago and saw a door propped open.
"It took us a couple of seconds to realize the steering wheel column was just completely pulled apart," Woo told ABC10. "Like, wires hanging out and stuff."
She said the tow company driver told her what saved her car from being stolen — her steering wheel was locked in place and it likely discouraged the would-be thieves.
Nonetheless, Woo said she's facing a $500 out-of-pocket payment to have a mechanic fix the steering column damage.
Complicated by a years-long auto parts shortage, her vehicle could be stuck in a body shop for several weeks.
But she's far from the only resident facing similar vehicle break-ins egged on by a recent social media video trend dubbed the "Kia Boyz" challenge.
Hacking into a car to steal it
A 2021 class action lawsuit involving residents in multiple states was launched against Kia and Hyundai over the security flaws highlighted in multiple videos posted to TikTok.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on April 20 big cities like Los Angeles saw an 85% increase in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles in 2022.
Bonta and attorneys general of 17 other states requested the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issue a nationwide recall of vehicles affected by this security flaw.
Kia spokespeople said in a statement 165,000 customers had additional security software installed to their vehicles, and more than 2 million vehicle owners were contacted about the issues.
Natomas area resident Brita Bonilla said she was clueless over the ongoing security concerns when she purchased a 2023 Kia earlier this year — but it didn't take long for her to learn about them.
She said her steering wheel column was cracked open, but the would-be thieves were unsuccessful in stealing her vehicle because of the recent software security patches.
Similar to Woo, Bonilla also faces a $500 deductible from her auto insurance because of the damage.
"When the thieves see a Hyundai emblem, they're going to break in anyways and try to steal it whether they got the right car or not. It's still a friggin' headache," said Woo.
According to Hyundai, they are releasing free security software upgrades for almost 4 million vehicles dating back to 2017. It is a process spokespeople say is scheduled to finish rolling out by June.
“We have prioritized the upgrade’s availability for owners and lessees of our highest selling vehicles and those most targeted by thieves in order for dealers to service them first,” said in a February 14 statement.
Click here to view the schedule of Hyundai makes and models rolling out security software patches.
