Published: Apr. 25, 2024 at 4:24 PM EDT|Updated: 14 hours ago
DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Thefts and break-ins involving Kia vehicles in Dorchester County are causing frustration for those having to pay the price in the aftermath.
Victoria Baxter, a Lowcountry native, says her Kia Sorento has been broken into four times in the past year or so.
“Stepping into my car, seeing papers and everything down by the floor. I was angry,” Baxter says. “They had taken the bottom part of the steering wheel cover off the switch assembly. I’m looking at the steering wheel being taken off, I’m looking at wires exposed.”
Baxter says her car was locked and that the break-in caused extensive damages.
“The repairs were definitely costly, and a lot of us have been seeing increases in car insurance because of the break-ins,” Baxter says. “It’s frustrating we have to pay for what other people are doing.”
The Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office reports 15 incidents in the past month in which a Kia or Hyundai was either stolen or broken into.
The department says these incidents can be sporadic and started nationwide back in 2019, under the guise of a social media challenge called “Kia Boys.”
The challenge shows how to damage steering wheel columns and turn the car on without a key. Some will use the opportunity to take valuables from the car, but others will take it on a drive and leave it somewhere.
The department says just a portion of Ladson Road contains more than 5,000 Kias and Hyundais registered through the SCDMV. Models with a key ignition are the main targets of the trend.
“Even ordering new parts, we have not been able to get the circular ring, so the keys go all over the place with this part missing,” Baxter says. “I do not see it stopping or slowing down anytime soon. That’s the concern. Not everyone has a garage, or security cameras or systems.”
Kia released the following statement, claiming they are aware of the trend and the increase in incidents:
“In response to this situation, Kia continues to take comprehensive action to enhance the security of our vehicles in an effort to prevent criminals from using methods of theft popularized on social media to break the law and steal or attempt to steal certain vehicle models.
We’re continuing to strongly encourage eligible customers to receive the software upgrade that we developed and rolled out last year that is designed to restrict the operation of the vehicle’s ignition system should a potential criminal attempt to steal a locked vehicle without the key. To date, close to 1.1 million Kia vehicles nationwide have received the upgrade and we continue to spread awareness about its availability by establishing a dedicated website with detailed information, hosting off-site events in multiple cities to make it easier for eligible customers to receive the upgrade, and partnering with Carfax to inform owners that their vehicle is eligible for the upgrade.
We also continue to provide steering wheel locks to owners of impacted vehicles that are not eligible for the software upgrade at no cost to them. These free steering wheel locks further enhance a vehicle’s security and can serve as a theft-deterrent for potential car thieves. Kia customers can obtain free, Kia-provided locks through their local law enforcement or they can request a steering wheel lock from Kia directly through the dedicated website. To date, we have distributed more than 360,000 locks and we will continue to provide them as they are needed. We also developed and introduced a new hardware modification that is designed for the vehicles that are not eligible for the software upgrade that works to combat theft by reinforcing the ignition cylinder body and preventing its removal through the method of theft promoted in videos that have spread across social media encouraging criminal activity.
Kia will continue to work with law enforcement agencies and local officials across the country to combat car theft and the role social media has played in encouraging it, and we remain fully committed to supporting our customers.”
The sheriff’s office is asking residents to safely store their car if you have the option or invest in steering wheel locks and similar methods to reduce the risk of an break-in or theft.
Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.
