{"id":110310,"date":"2026-08-05T21:27:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T21:27:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/110310\/"},"modified":"2026-08-05T21:27:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T21:27:08","slug":"new-bedford-police-issue-hyundai-and-kia-theft-warnings-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/110310\/","title":{"rendered":"New Bedford Police Issue Hyundai and Kia Theft Warnings"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW BEDFORD<\/a> (WBSM) \u2014 New Bedford residents who drive certain Hyundai<\/a> or Kia<\/a> vehicles may find cards on their vehicle from the police warning them that their vehicle may be a target for auto theft.<\/p>\n

Rest assured, these cards are legitimately from the New Bedford Police<\/a> and they are in response to the \u201cKia Challenge\u201d that has taken hold online over the past few years.<\/p>\n

Police spokesperson Holly Huntoon told WBSM that the department has begun placing these informational cards on select Hyundai and Kia vehicles \u201cas part of a crime prevention and community outreach initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is simply to make owners aware that these vehicles have been targeted nationwide and to encourage them to take a few extra precautions to reduce the risk of theft,\u201d she said, noting that the cards are similar to the department\u2019s \u201clock your vehicle\u201d reminders.<\/p>\n

Understanding the Nationwide ‘Kia Challenge’ Trend<\/p>\n

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau<\/a>, the so-called \u201cKia Challenge\u201d began with a group of teens in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that called themselves the \u201cKia Boys.\u201d Back in 2021, these \u201cKia Boys\u201d began posting \u201cdemonstrating how to quickly steal certain model Hyundai and Kia vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHyundai and Kia vehicle thefts surged nationwide in the summer of 2022, increasing 95% from 2021,\u201d the NICB reported, noting that the trending challenge \u201centiced teenagers across the country, many of whom were not even old enough to obtain a driver\u2019s license, to film themselves stealing Hyundai and Kia vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"GettyGetty ImagesGetty ImagesWhich Vehicle Models Are Most at Risk?<\/p>\n

The target vehicles for the thefts are certain 2011-2021 Kia models, and 2015-2021 Hyundai models, that are not equipped with engine immobilizers<\/a>. However, that doesn\u2019t mean those are the only models that are prone to break-ins.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s important to emphasize the fact that thieves are often unaware of which particular models or years have the security vulnerability,\u201d Huntoon said. \u201cThey only find out after having already broken into the vehicle. Therefore, all models and years are potentially at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Are New Bedford Police Combatting the \u2018Kia Challenge?\u2019<\/p>\n

Huntoon said officers who see a Hyundai or Kia while on patrol will leave a card on the vehicle. The cards, which have both English and Spanish on them, offer practical tips such as making sure your vehicle is locked, removing keys, parking in well-lit areas when possible, and consider using a steering wheel lock.<\/p>\n

\"CourtesyCourtesy New Bedford PoliceCourtesy New Bedford Police<\/p>\n

Local Hyundai or Kia dealerships might also be able to offer some assistance.<\/p>\n

\u201cOwners should contact their local dealerships to confirm that any available anti-theft software updates or security enhancements have been installed,\u201d Huntoon said. \u201cThese security updates are quick and will often be provided free of charge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"WBSM-AM\/AM<\/p>\n

The cards also encourage anyone who sees something suspicious to contact New Bedford Police at (508) 991-6350, or if it is an emergency, dial 911.<\/p>\n

\u201cCrime prevention is most effective when we can partner with the community before a crime occurs, and this initiative is another way for our officers to engage with residents in a positive, proactive manner,\u201d Huntoon said.<\/p>\n

How the Kia Boyz are stealing Kias and Hyundais <\/p>\n

For demonstration purposes only<\/p>\n

Gallery Credit: Kevin Miller <\/p>\n

Kia Recalls Over 400,000 of This Model<\/p>\n

Can you identify a Kia Telluride? You may not want to park in front of one, especially on a hill! Here’s a closer look.<\/p>\n

Gallery Credit: Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) \u2014 New Bedford residents who drive certain Hyundai or Kia vehicles may find cards on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":110311,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[5816,7030,295,294,293,154,56643],"class_list":["post-110310","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hyundai","tag-articles","tag-crime","tag-hyundai","tag-hyundai-group","tag-hyundai-motor-group","tag-news","tag-southcoast-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110310","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110310"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110310\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/110311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110310"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110310"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110310"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}