HAZEL GREEN — Participants in a so-called “Kia Challenge” are suspected in a chain of stolen Kia vehicles in Madison County.
According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, evidence collected at each scene indicates these incidents are connected to a viral TikTok trend commonly referred to as the “Kia Challenge” or “Kia Boyz.” The trend targets certain Kia models that can be more easily manipulated to start without a key.
The trend, which started in 2023, challenges teens to steal a car off the street by breaking into the car, popping off the steering wheel column and hot wiring the vehicle using a USB cable, similar to the wire used to charge a phone.
The thieves are mainly young teens — some, not even old enough to legally drive. The stolen cars are often used for joyrides, or used to commit other crimes and then abandoned on the side of the road.
The thieves post videos online of stealing and driving the cars, using the hashtag “Kia Boys” — which has more than 33 million views on TikTok. The social media company said in a statement it “does not condone this behavior which violates our policies and will be removed if found on our platform.”
Over the past several days, the sheriff’s office has responded to three stolen vehicle reports in the Hazelwood subdivision in Hazel Green.
In each case, the vehicles were 2011–15 Kia models, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. All three vehicles were stolen during the overnight hours, driven a short distance, and later abandoned within approximately two miles of the subdivision. Deputies have since recovered all three vehicles.
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