CNN
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Two Hyundai fashions and one Kia had been the three most-stolen automobiles final 12 months, in line with a report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Hyundai Elantra compact vehicles had been stolen greater than 48,000 instances final 12 months whereas Hyundai Sonata sedans had been stolen nearly 43,000 instances, in line with the report. Kia Optima sedans had been stolen greater than 30,000 instances in line with the report, which solely counted police-reported thefts.
These theft numbers far outstripped these of the fourth most stolen mannequin, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup, one of many best-selling automobiles in America. Silverado pickups had been stolen about 24,000 instances, in line with the report.
In all, six of the highest 10 most-stolen automobiles in America final 12 months had been Hyundai and Kia fashions. The listing included the Kia Soul, Kia Forte, and Kia Sportage. Different automobiles on the listing had been the Honda Accord, Honda Civic and the Ford F-150 pickup.
The NICB stories uncooked numbers of police-reported thefts which are gathered by way of the Nationwide Crime Data Middle. The numbers should not adjusted for the inhabitants of a given mannequin on the street so, to a sure extent, some automobiles could also be extra generally stolen just because there are extra of them obtainable to steal.
Why Hyundai and Kia vehicles are high targets
By the primary half of 2023, thefts of older Hyundai and Kia fashions had increased by 1,000% since 2020, in line with a report by the Freeway Loss Knowledge Institute early this 12 months.
Sure older Hyundai and Kia fashions made earlier than 2023 are notably susceptible to automotive thieves. Inexpensive variations of automobiles resembling these vehicles outfitted with turn-key ignitions — versus vehicles that solely require a button press to begin – are roughly twice as prone to be stolen as different automobiles of the same age, in line with the HLDI.
These automobiles can lack a few of the primary auto theft prevention applied sciences, resembling digital immobilizers, included in most different automobiles even in these years, in line with the HLDI. Digital immobilizers depend on a pc chip within the automotive and one other in the important thing that talk to verify that the hot button is genuine and belongs to that automobile.
Strategies to steal these vehicles unfold by way of social media channels. As theft claims for Hyundai and Kia automobiles have incrased since 2020, “vandalism” insurance coverage claims on them have additionally gone up, in accordance HLDI knowledge. That’s presumably a results of these fashions being focused for theft however left broken when some makes an attempt fail, in line with HLDI.
Hyundai and Kia function as separate firms in the US, however Hyundai Motor Group owns a big stake in Kia, and numerous Hyundai and Kia fashions share a lot of their engineering. Newer fashions from these automakers are much less susceptible to theft.
Earlier this 12 months, Hyundai and Kia agreed to a $200 million settlement with as many as 9 million automobile house owners to settle claims that the automakers didn’t do sufficient to make the automobiles safe. Together with funds for stolen and broken automobiles, the settlement additionally included set up of anti-theft software program and the prices of different theft-preventative measures.
“In response to this example, Kia continues to take complete motion to reinforce the safety of our automobiles in an effort to stop criminals from utilizing strategies of theft popularized on social media to interrupt the regulation and steal or try and steal sure automobile fashions,” Kia spokesman James Bell mentioned in an emailed assertion.
Greater than 1.1 million Kia automobiles nationwide have had anti-theft software program put in, in line with Kia. The corporate can be offering free steering wheel locks for automobiles that aren’t capable of settle for the anti-theft software program. Hyundai mentioned it has retroactively added numerous anti-theft measures on 1.3 million of its automobiles.