Pasco police issued a warning to owners of certain car models, and that warning resonated with other police agencies.
The problem has existed, but it was further exacerbated just over a year ago through a dangerous challenge on TikTok. Kia models made after 2011 and Hyundai cars made after 2015 and later are said to be hot-plugged using just a USB cable.
That’s according to reports from the Washington State Patrol and the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force, which reported an increase in thefts of those cars in August 2022.
TikTok posted a video posted on the controversial China-based social media platform, showing how to connect those cars and possibly borrow them.
Despite ongoing recalls and safety tweaks by automakers, it takes months to catch up with all cars and make the adjustments to eliminate this defect. Meanwhile, Pasco police say that locally, Kia and Hyundai cars are among the most stolen.
The researchers urge owners of these vehicles to contact the proper dealers and have the “patches” installed, or at least look for other protective measures that especially reduce the chances of their car being impounded.
An oversight or “flaw” in the design of some models made them a much less difficult target for theft.
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Pasco police issued a warning to owners of certain car models, and that warning resonated with other law enforcement agencies.
The problem has existed, but it was further exacerbated just over a year ago through a dangerous challenge on TikTok. Kia models made after 2011 and Hyundai cars made after 2015 and later are said to be hot-plugged using just a USB cable.
That’s according to reports from the Washington State Patrol and the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force, which reported an increase in thefts of those cars in August 2022.
TikTok posted a video posted on the controversial China-based social media platform, showing how to hook up those cars and possibly borrow them.
Despite ongoing recalls and safety tweaks by automakers, it takes months to catch up with all cars and make the adjustments to eliminate this defect. Meanwhile, Pasco police say that locally, Kia and Hyundai cars are among the most stolen.
The researchers urge owners of these cars to go to the right dealerships and have the “fixes” installed, or at least take a look at other protective measures that would especially reduce the chances of their car being impounded.