Key Takeaways
Hyundais and Kias topped the checklist for car thefts within the US in 2023.
Lack of immobilizers in keys made these autos simple targets for thieves, rising the theft price dramatically.
To guard your car, park in well-lit areas, lock doorways and home windows, disguise valuables, and don’t depart keys within the automotive.
They’ve lastly performed it. Because of the wave of thefts of Hyundais and Kias because of exploits going viral on social media, South Korean sedans skilled the very best price of thefts of any car within the US in 2023. Kia and Hyundai fashions occupy six spots on the highest 10 checklist in accordance with a report by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau (NICB). Autos from the 2 manufacturers nabbed the highest three spots, with the Hyundai Elantra coming in at primary with 48,445 thefts.
“These rankings spotlight the persistent menace of car theft throughout the nation,” stated NICB President and CEO David J. Glawe. “NICB works with regulation enforcement companies and business companions to deploy superior applied sciences and methods to fight car theft from organized felony networks and people. At the same time as we work to discourage crime, it’s essential for house owners to stay vigilant and take proactive measures to guard their autos.”
Not The First Place Hyundai Needed
In second place is the Hyundai Sonata with 42,813 thefts whereas third goes to the Kia Optima/K5 with 30,204. That is the primary time the highest three have gone to South Korean automakers and the bureau says it breaks a years-long development of full-size vehicles holding the highest spots. The Chevrolet Silverado was essentially the most stolen car in America in 2022 with 49,903 incidents.
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Hyundai and Kia rose to the problem this yr because of TikTok movies that went viral proper after the pandemic exhibiting how simple it was for thieves to activate and steal Kias of all types. The problem needed to do with the dearth of an immobilizer put in in the important thing to avoid wasting on prices, permitting thieves to easily enter the car, crack open the steering column, and use a ubiquitous USB cable to plug into the ignition and activate the automotive. The method may take as little as thirty seconds, making it a pretty proposition for automotive thieves.
In 2022, the very best South Korean mannequin on the checklist was the fifth-place Hyundai Sonata with 21,707 thefts, so the large enhance in 2023 is perplexing given Hyundai and Kia have each introduced remembers and updates to assist thwart automotive thieves. It is also stunning given the bureau says automotive thefts solely rose 1% from 2022 to 2023.
How To Defend Your self
Fortunately, regardless of the category motion lawsuits and excessive insurance coverage premiums, not all hope is misplaced. There are nonetheless methods to guard your car from theft. Make sure that to do the next when parking your automotive, in accordance with the NICB:
Park in well-lit areas.
Shut and lock all home windows and doorways while you park.
Conceal valuables out of sight, comparable to within the glove field or trunk.
Don’t depart your keys in your car.
Don’t depart the world whereas your car is working.
In case your car is stolen, name regulation enforcement and your insurer instantly. Immediate reporting will increase the prospect of restoration.
Associated
Kia Lastly Develops Bodily Answer To TikTok Thefts
It is for all of the fashions that may’t obtain the software program replace and are nonetheless susceptible to the so-called ‘Kia Boyz’ assaults.
The bureau stresses that it is necessary to name the police as quickly as doable as a result of your insurance coverage could require a police report with a view to pay out your declare. Moreover, the NICB says that 24% of recovered stolen autos are discovered the identical day, with the quantity rising to 45% inside three days. General, 85% of stolen autos are subsequently recovered.
