CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-area owners of Hyundai vehicles are invited to a weekend event to have anti-theft technology installed in their cars after months of TikTok-inspired Hyundai and Kia car thefts.
"The installation of this technology we feel is going to be one of the major solutions at chipping away at this problem," Lt. Kevin Pietrus, a spokesperson for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, said Friday. "Of course, until a mechanism is installed in a vehicle, they remain susceptible to these thefts."
CMPD is partnering with Hyundai and hosting this three-day event at the PNC Music Pavilion, located in northeast Charlotte near the Cabarrus County border.
“We cannot solve crime by ourselves,” CMPD Chief of Police, Johnny Jennings, said.
“We offer this clinic here in Charlotte Mecklenburg because it’s one of the hardest hit communities across the nation,” Dave Vandelinde, with Hyundai Motor America, said.
More than a year ago, a TikTok social media challenge spotlighted the vehicles' lack of an immobilizer. The challenge shows TikTok viewers how to hot-wire Kia and Hyundai cars with a USB cord and a screwdriver.
Nearly four million Hyundai vehicles - all between the years 2011 and 2022 and all without a push-to-start button - are subject to the flaw.
So far in 2024, 70% of vehicles stolen in Charlotte have been either a Hyundai or a Kia, according to CMPD. With more than 8,000 stolen cars last year, CMPD saw a 120% increase in the reports of stolen vehicles.
In all of 2023, property crimes rose 17% mainly because of these car thefts, according to CMPD. That year, 38,187 property crimes were reported compared to 32,757 in 2022.
But vehicle thefts are not the only crime that happens.
“Those cars are often used in violent crimes, such as robberies and homicides," Jennings said.
No registration is required for the CMPD event at the PNC Music Pavilion. The event will be open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24. It will run from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25.
More information about Hyundai thefts and software updates available to owners can be found at https://hyundaiantitheft.com/.