Kia Boyz YouTube video driving dangerously around Milwaukee goes viral
Milwaukee YouTuber “Tommy G” recorded a group known as the Kia Boyz while they engaged in reckless driving with stolen cars. This video contains excerpts from the original Kia Boyz YouTube video.
Lou Saldivar, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Hyundai and Kia, which were plagued by vehicle thefts — particularly in Milwaukee for several years — will soon offer free ignition cylinder repairs to all eligible vehicle owners who request them.
Attorney General Josh Kaul announced Dec. 16 that Wisconsin, along with 35 other attorneys general, have reached a settlement in a lawsuit with the car companies.
In a statement, the state Department of Justice said Hyundai and Kia have agreed to offer free zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protectors to owners or lessees of eligible vehicles, including vehicles that previously were only eligible for the companies’ software updates. Also, all future vehicles sold in the U.S. will be equipped with engine immobilizer anti-theft technology.
Kia and Hyundai will pay $4.5 million in restitution to eligible drivers whose cars are damaged by thieves; and pay another $4.5 million to the states on the lawsuit that have investigation costs.
“This resolution will help limit the harm from the manufacture of these vehicles without anti-theft immobilizers,” Kaul said in a statement. “I encourage those who are eligible to benefit from this agreement.”
Auto thefts was a uniquely Milwaukee issue during pandemic
Vehicle thefts, particularly Kia and Hyundai vehicles, skyrocketed in Milwaukee during the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically young people, informed online of how to easily steal the vehicles using just a screwdriver and USB charging cord, stole thousands of vehicles. Sometimes using them just to joy ride and subsequently crash before fleeing the scene. In some other cases, the consequences have been fatal.
In 2021, Milwaukee police reported 10,476 car thefts, with most of them being Kia and Hyundai vehicles. In recent years, the amount of vehicle thefts has dropped in half from its peak. Through Dec. 15 of this year, the city has recorded 4,920 vehicle thefts, which is down 20% from 2024.
Kia and Hyundai announced software updates in recent years for some vehicles, which helped. Police and city officials passed policies and took on initiatives to address the crisis, which received national attention when a YouTube video — “Kia Boys Documentary” — was released in 2022. The auto theft trend affected the entire country. The earliest beginnings of a the “Kia Boyz” may have originated in Milwaukee, but Police Chief Jeffrey Norman previously told the Journal Sentinel he wasn’t sure about that.
Kia and Hyundai failed to install anti-theft technology on cars
Hyundai and Kia failed to install anti-theft engine immobilizer technology in millions of vehicles sold across the U.S., including in Wisconsin. Engine immobilizers prevent a car from being started without a “smart” key that contains the vehicle’s electronic security code. The DOJ said one report found that in 2015, only 26% of Hyundai and Kia vehicles sold in the U.S. had engine immobilizers, compared with 96% of vehicles sold by other manufacturers.
In 2023, Hyundai and Kia rolled out a service campaign to update software on many of the affected vehicles. The automakers also offered to install zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protectors, but only for the roughly 20% of vehicles that were not eligible for the software update. While the companies said the update stopped the viral theft method, states alleged the software could — and did — get bypassed by thieves.
How do I get my Kia or Hyundai fixed or get paid?
Eligible consumers will have one year from the date they receive notice from the companies to schedule an appointment at a local authorized Hyundai or Kia dealership to have the zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector installed.
The DOJ said consumers are encouraged to make an appointment as soon as possible.
Vehicle owners who previously received the software update — or were scheduled to receive it — but still experienced a theft or attempted theft on or after April 29, 2025, may file a claim for restitution to cover certain theft-related and attempted-theft expenses.
