Hyundai and Kia lost $200,000 in damages over TikTok videos

Less than a year ago, TikTok videos emerged showing how to start a Hyundai or Kia with simple tricks. After the program is reformed, South Korean automakers will also set aside up to $200 million to compensate victims of a series of car thefts.

TikTok videos explain how you can flash a Kia or Hyundai with a USB cable. It even became a big challenge in some places in the United States: the ‘Kia Boyz Challenge’.

Only Kias and Hyundais in the US

Autovisie previously contacted Hyundai and Kia about the car security leaks and TikTok videos. Hyundai told Autovisie: “Hyundai models in Europe are not affected by this, so upgrades are not an issue.” Kia also said that only US vehicles should receive the update. It concerned cars manufactured between 2015 and 2019. More than 8 million Kias and Hyundais in the United States were previously promised an update that should solve the problems shown in the TikTok videos.

More plagiarism through TikTok videos

Of TikTokvideos were quickly seen as a big problem, and the numbers show it. Last year, Hyundai and Kia vehicles were stolen nearly twice as often in the United States compared to other manufacturers’ vehicles for the same model year.

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The South Korean automaker is now settling a series of claims from parties that had gone to court over the matter. It is up to the judge to approve the plan.