TikTok videos teach people how to hotwire a car. Now GA is suing.
According to a class-action lawsuit in Georgia, Kia and Hyundai vehicles contain a huge defect, making them highly exposed to theft.
The lawsuit comes after a nationwide trend on TikTok that showed users how to break into one of the vehicles and hotwire it with a USB cable. The original video was posted by a group called the “Kia Boyz” and after making the theft viral, they also challenged others to try it for themselves, dubbing it the “Kia Challenge.”
Since the challenge began, victims have posted warnings about the challenge on social media, as well as videos showing copycat damage done by those who have tried the challenge.
The class-action lawsuit explained that the plaintiff, Mary Horne, filed the lawsuit knowing that the vehicles don’t possess engine immobilizers. Horne noted that this is not legal and does not follow safety regulations.
“Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114 requires a vehicle’s engine to be started only when the key is present. Therefore, when a key is removed from a vehicle, its starting system must prevent the normal activation of the engine or motor, and prevent steering or forward self-mobility of the vehicle,” stated the lawsuit.
The lawsuit has claimed “breach of warranty, negligent failure to warn, design defect, and unjust enrichment.”
The plaintiff has said Kia and Hyundai responded to the claims, but haven’t provided a solution to the issue.
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 6:10 AM.
