Kia's New Kia Boyz Theft Deterent Is For Vehicles That Can't Get A Software Update

Photo: Kia

Kia is sending out another theft deterrent for owners of its infamous Kia Boyz vehicles – an ignition cylinder protector – according to a statement from the automaker. It’s designed for vehicles with key-operated ignition systems that aren’t eligible for the security software upgrades Kia put out earlier this year.

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Basically, the new deterrent is a free dealer-installed modification that became available on December 20. Kia dealers will install an ignition cylinder protector that is supposed to help reinforce the ignition cylinder body. This will, according to Kia, also stop the unoriginal TikTok thieves from removing the ignition cylinder protector and ignition cover in the same way they have been.

To really drive the point home, Kia says each vehicle that gets the modification will also get little window decals that’ll let the Kia Boyz know that they’re not going to get TikTok famous with this car, no sir!

Here’s a list of vehicles eligible for the Kia Boyz fix:

2011 – 2016 Sportage

2011 – 2016 Forte

2010 – 2022 Soul

2011 – 2021 Rio

2014 Sedona

Last year, Kia released a software update as a further security method to stop these goddamn kids from fucking with people’s little Korean cars. According to the automaker, dealers installed the software on just about 940,000 vehicles in 2023. Kia has also honest a number of temporary software upgrade clinics to help local dealers with installation in “key cities” with more planned in the early part of this year.

Kia has also provided over 325,000 old-school steering wheel locks to impacted owners who aren’t eligible for the software update, and it is working with local police forces and public officials to distribute them.

It’s all well and good that Kia is trying to get this fix out en masse, but it would have been nice if the ignition systems were designed correctly from the get-go.