The new UCLA study warns that the “Kia Boys” phenomenon could keep Hyundai and Kia vehicles at risk for another decade and a half, extending well into the 2040s.
Study Findings
“In our study, we examine the growth in thefts of Hyundai Sonatas in Los Angeles, CA, in relation to the rise of the ‘Kia Boys’ social media phenomenon, and then use a comparative mathematical model to forecast the long-term temporal and spatial pattern of thefts through 2050,” the authors wrote.
The researchers built a model that tracks theft trends against factors such as the number of vulnerable cars still on the road, the persistence of the social-media trend, and historical patterns of similar crimes.
Compared with the late-1990s surge in Honda Civic and Accord thefts, this case shows how quickly a viral technique can spread when a simple mechanical exploit is demonstrated online, leading to a nationwide spike in similar offenses.
“Model-based forecasts suggest that thefts of the vulnerable Hyundai and Kia models in Los Angeles will remain raised over baseline levels through at least 2042, dropping to negligible levels between 2043 and 2050 largely because vulnerable vehicles will have become rare due to scrapping,” the paper states.
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“The long-term impact will vary across the city, however,” the authors continue. “Higher-income areas of Los Angeles will have forgotten about the ‘Kia Boys’ vulnerability as older, at-risk cars are traded in for newer ones. Lower-income areas of the city will continue to absorb vulnerable cars as they change hands in the used market before moving toward eventual scrapping.”
Implications for Drivers
Although the analysis focuses on Los Angeles, the authors note that similar theft patterns have appeared across the United States, where joyriders exploited a simple method: removing the ignition cover and turning the cylinder with a flat-head screwdriver or a USB-A charging cable.
The technique works only on cars lacking an engine immobilizer, a feature more common on the cheaper models sold by Hyundai and Kia. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported that the Hyundai Elantra rose from the sixth-most-stolen vehicle in 2022 to the top spot in 2023, with thefts more than doubling nationwide.
After Hyundai equipped newer models with standard immobilizers and offered upgrade kits for older vehicles, theft numbers fell but have not vanished, according to the study.
