Kia and Hyundia Could Pay Over $500 Million to Settle Viral ‘Kia Boys’ Thefts

Kia and Hyundai could end up shelling out nearly half a billion dollars to repair cars vulnerable to so-called “Kia Boys” thefts.

The automakers settled this week with 35 U.S. states over the sale of millions of vehicles nationwide that were not equipped with an industry-standard anti-theft system known as an engine immobilizer. The technology prevents a car from starting without the coded signal from a smart key.

Without that protection, thieves were able to start some Kia and…