HOUSTON – TikTok is a popular platform for sharing recipes and showing off dance moves, but we want to warn you about a car theft challenge circulating that Houston police say has made its way to our area.
The cars being targeted are Kia and Hyundais.
In the challenge, users demonstrate how easy it is to use objects like a USB cord to start the ignition.
Now, both Kia and Hyundai are offering solutions to help owners protect against theft as HPD issues a stern warning.
“I go to my parking spot and there’s glass everywhere and no car,” said Tykeiah Briggs.
Briggs said, around Thanksgiving, she became part of the TikTok challenge she never wanted to join.
”So, I’m like at this point, someone stole it. It’s gone,” she said.
Briggs is talking about her 2020 Hyundai Elantra.
Her story similar to what Houston police say is a growing number of Hyundai and Kia owners in our area falling victim to thefts as a result of the challenge.
”In the last three months, they [Kias and Hyundais] have shown up in our top 10 most stolen, and before that, they really weren’t. So that trend has arrived in Houston,” said Sgt. Tracy Hicks with HPD vehicular crimes division.
HPD says it’s working to track down anyone in our area participating in the challenge and also advising owners to install advanced alarm systems.
”They have ignition immobilizers built into them. Your car is practically impossible to hotwire,” Hicks said.
Officials with Hyundai and Kia say they’ve been rolling out free security software updates that can prevent theft and offering free steering wheel locks to owners through participating law enforcement agencies.
Briggs’ car was found months later on the side of the road, vandalized with parts missing.
Now, she’s determined to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
”It shouldn’t have to be like that but it’s like, in this day and age, in this time, you got to prevent it from happening,” she said.
Briggs says she does plan on getting that software upgrade but, in the meantime, she’s using a steering wheel lock to help prevent theft.
Progressive and State Farm are refusing to write insurance policies for some older Hyundai and Kia models that have been deemed too easy to steal.