Here Is Why Kias And Hyundais Are Being Stolen In Illinois Right Now

There's an odd growing trend in car thefts right now. Kias and Hyundais are being stolen at an alarming rate.

In Minneapolis:

In Columbus, Ohio:

In Madison, Wisconsin:

And in Cincinnati, Ohio:

Some towns across the Midwest are seeing a 1000% increase in the number of stolen Kias recently and it appears you can trace most of it back to society's favorite invention, social media.

You might not have seen it on your feed but if you type "Kia boys" into your search bar, you'll be inundated with videos of bored youngsters stealing Kias and Hyundais, using a trick that has been shared on social media, and then taking these vehicles out for a joy ride.

Similar to these:

Apparently, it all traces back to a defect that has been in Kias and Hyundais since 2015 that the wrong people found out about, and then shared all over the internet.

Fox9 - If you strip the ignition column, there's a piece that pops off and you can stick a USB drive, a knife, or something like that. Well, think about how many people charge their cell phones in their cars. The exact part they need to steal that car is featured in most people's cars.

Both companies are aware of problem in their older model cars but don't seem to be in a hurry to issue a recall. Here's what each company replied with when Fox9 in Minnesota reached out to them for comment.

Kia:

Kia America is aware of the rise in vehicle thefts of a subset of trim level vehicles in your area. As of the current 2022 Model Year, all Kia vehicles have an engine immobilizer fitted as standard. All Kia vehicles for sale in the U.S. meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Kia customers with questions regarding their Kia vehicle should contact the Consumer Assistance Center directly at 1-800-333-4542 (4Kia).

And Hyundai:

Hyundai Motor America is concerned with the rise in local auto thefts. The safety and well-being of our customers and the community is and will remain our top priority. These vehicles meet or exceed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and engine immobilizers are standard equipment on all new Hyundai vehicles. Hyundai customers who have questions can always contact the Hyundai Consumer Assistance Center at 800-633-5151.

So, it looks like Kia and Hyundai owners are on their own when it comes to protecting their car.

So how can they do that?

In every article I read on this spreading crime, there was one suggestion that ran through all of them that we've had at our disposal for decades.

The Club.

Your car can't be driven unless they remove the steering wheel. Most of the people that are stealing Kias and Hyundais aren't carrying that kind of equipment and will move right along. Now, they might still break your window out of frustration of not being able to steal your car, but at least a broken window is far less inconveniencing than a stolen car.

Stay safe out there.