For the first time in a long time, Kia and Hyundai sedans outpaced full-size trucks as the most stolen vehicles in America, according to an annual report released Thursday by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
The Hyundai Elantra, Hyundai Sonata, and Kia Optima took the top three spots for the most stolen vehicles in 2023. The Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup truck ranked fourth.
While the findings may be new for the NICB, it's not news in what has become an epidemic of car theft. Last month, the NICB reported that vehicle thefts have continued to rise since 2019, with vehicle thefts increasing 1% from 2022 to 2023. The nonprofit organization funded by the insurance industry reported 1,020,729 vehicles stolen in 2023.
For reference, there were 278 million passenger and commercial vehicles registered in the U.S. in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Trucks accounted for about 171 million of those registrations, which is why trucks typically take the top spots in the most stolen vehicles. Until this year.
Why Car Thieves Target Hyundai and Kia Models
Hyundai and Kia sedans with keyed ignitions instead of pushbutton starts have been besieged by high rates of car theft since before the pandemic, accelerated by viral social media posts demonstrating how to hack the cars' ignition systems with a USB cable or similar device. The hack allowed the thieves to drive away without a key or key fob. The vehicles, typically older entry-level models, lacked theft immobilizers.
A 2021 study by the Highway Loss Data Institute, the research agency of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), found that 26% of 2015 Hyundai and Kia vehicles had such passive theft immobilizers; 96% of all other makes combined had an anti-theft device as standard. For the 2021 model year, the number of Hyundais and Kias with theft immobilizers increased to 78%.
During the pandemic, viral videos of "Kia Boys" featuring underage teens stealing cars in urban areas to go on joy rides until crashing brought the issue under the national spotlight. The viral trend had been attributed to eight vehicular deaths, in part prompting a class-action lawsuit that the related brands settled for $200 million in May 2023.
At the time, auto insurance companies seemed reluctant to take on clients purchasing older Hyundai/Kia models, according to an NPR report.
The settlement covered roughly 9 million owners of 2011-2022 model year cars with traditional keyed ignitions. In February of last year, Hyundai and Kia, who are owned by the Hyundai Motor Group conglomerate headquartered in South Korea, rolled out a free software upgrade for cars that lack engine immobilizers. In addition to window stickers and car alarm sirens that would sound for a minute instead of 30 seconds, the software upgrade required the key to be in the ignition switch to turn on. It can be installed at dealers for free. The brands also provided steering wheel locks or compensation for steering wheel locks to deter theft.
Top 10 Most Stolen Cars in 2023
Car theft remains a problem nationwide, the NICB reports, with the number of thefts in 2023 breaking another record. It's not just vulnerable models like older Hyundai and Kias, either. The top 10, and the number of models stolen, breaks down as follows:
Hyundai Elantra (48,445)
Hyundai Sonata (42,813)
Kia Optima (30,204)
Chevrolet Silverado (23,721)
Kia Soul (21,001)
Honda Accord (20,895)
Honda Civic (19,858)
Kia Forte (16,209)
Ford F-150 (15,582)
Kia Sportage (15,749)
The reasons for the record-breaking amount of vehicular thefts are manifold.
“Criminals are employing increasingly sophisticated methods to steal vehicles, including the use of advanced technology to bypass security systems,” David J. Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB, said in a statement. “From keyless entry hacks to relay attacks on key fobs, perpetrators are exploiting vulnerabilities in modern vehicle security measures with alarming success rates.”
The NICB reported that recovery rates remain high, with more than 85% of stolen vehicles recovered. The agency advises to call law enforcement and your insurance carrier immediately in case of theft to increase the chances of it being recovered.
