Police say an unoccupied stolen car found running in White Settlement was likely taken as part of a social media "challenge."
White Settlement Police said officers discovered a running, unoccupied Kia sedan abandoned in a grassy area near Silver Creek and Bomber Road.
When officers approached the car, they noticed the transmission was still in drive and that there was visible damage to the steering column. Police said investigators believed the car to be stolen and "determined this was likely due to a TikTok Kia challenge that takes advantage of security vulnerabilities in some car models."
Investigators soon confirmed the car had been stolen from a nearby apartment complex.
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Going back a couple of years, content creators seeking views or clout shared how some Kia and Hyundai vehicles built between 2011-2022 didn't have an engine immobilizer and could be started using only a screwdriver and a USB cable. The videos were followed by a sharp increase in the number of reported thefts of certain models of Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
NBC News reported attorneys general in 18 states called for a recall of the affected vehicles, claiming they were too easy to steal. The Office of the Texas Attorney General was not a part of the multi-state coalition.
A recall was not ordered, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in February 2023 that Hyundai and Kia developed a software upgrade that would extend the duration of the alarm siren and require the key to be in the ignition before the engine could be started.
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The NHTSA said the TikTok social media challenge resulted in 14 crashes and eight fatalities and they urged people who owned the vehicles to contact the manufacturer for the free software update. NBC News reported in April 2023 that about 3.8 million Hyundai cars and 4.5 million Kia cars were eligible for the software update.
Hyundai has said all models produced after Nov. 1, 2021, have immobilizers as standard equipment. In May 2023, Hyundai Motor America entered into a $200 class action settlement offering "cash compensation for customers who incurred theft-related vehicle losses or damage not covered by insurance, in addition to reimbursement for insurance deductibles, increased insurance premiums, and other theft-related losses."
White Settlement Police did not reveal any other information about the theft or say whether any suspects had been identified.
"It’s unfortunate that these TikTok challenges have led to fatalities and countless injuries across the country, not to mention significant loss in people’s property," White Settlement Chief of Police Chris Cook said on X.
Anyone with information is asked to email tips to wspd@wspd.us or call 817-246-4973.
