(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – In a surprising new evil caused by TikTok, the Communist China-owned social media platform wreaking havoc among young American minds, the theft of certain brands of cars has skyrocketed after a “TikTok challenge” revealed their vulnerabilities.
Theft rates for vehicles produced by the South Korean automaker Hyundai and its subsidiary Kia have increased over ten times following a TikTok trend highlighting a security flaw in these cars, Fox Business reports.
According to the most recent data from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), which monitors auto thefts through insurance claims, thefts of Hyundai and Kia models surged by more than 1,000% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2020.
The HLDI noted that before 2020, the theft rates for Hyundai and Kia were comparable to other brands.
However, in the first half of 2023, theft claims for these South Korean vehicles were seven times higher than those for other makes.
The latest data revealed that Hyundai and Kia’s vehicles were stolen at a rate of 11.2 per 1,000 insured vehicles, significantly higher than the average claim rate of 1.6 per 1,000 for all other makes.
Additionally, vandalism claims for Hyundai and Kia vehicles have also risen sharply, likely due to unsuccessful theft attempts.
These claims were four times higher in early 2023 compared to three years earlier and were threefold higher than for other makes in the previous year.
The rise in vehicle thefts coincided with the pandemic, but Hyundais and Kias became particularly vulnerable targets after a 2021 social media challenge exposed that several models from these brands, produced between 2011 and 2021, lacked immobilizers, making them susceptible to theft without a key.
This increase in thefts led to several US cities suing Hyundai and Kia for not adequately securing their vehicles, adding strain on law enforcement.
Major insurers State Farm and Progressive even stopped covering certain Kia and Hyundai models manufactured between 2015 and 2019 in January 2023 due to the high theft rates.
In response, both manufacturers began implementing new anti-theft software upgrades for several models last year, covering millions of vehicles.
Both Hyundai and Kia have stated their commitment to combating car theft and the influence of social media in promoting such crimes, as well as their dedication to customer support and vehicle security.
