Hyundai Kia car theft trends persist as Hyundai and Kia models remain the most stolen vehicles in the United States, even as overall auto thefts decline.
Data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) show the Hyundai Elantra ranked No. 1 with 11,329 thefts—about 3.4% of all cases—followed by the Hyundai Sonata at 9,154. The Honda Accord placed third (8,531), the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 fourth (8,006), and the Honda Civic fifth (6,396). Two Kia models also made the top ten: Optima in sixth (6,011) and Soul in tenth (4,380).
Experts link the high counts for some older Korean models to missing immobilizers on certain 2011–2021 Hyundai and Kia vehicles that use a physical key; without an electronic immobilizer, engines can be started without the correct key. Hyundai has equipped immobilizers as standard on models released since 2021. NICB’s list reflects raw theft totals rather than theft rates, so widely sold models can rank higher simply because more of them are on the road.
By location, Washington, D.C. recorded the highest theft rate at 373.09 per 100,000 people, followed by California at 178.01—nearly double the national average of 97.33. Nevada (167.68), New Mexico (167.54), and Colorado (149.04) rounded out the top five. Even so, thefts nationally fell to 334,114 in the first half of 2024, down 23% year over year. Only Alaska saw an increase, while California posted a 26% drop.
NICB urges owners of older, non-immobilizer vehicles to take extra precautions: confirm doors are locked, avoid leaving a running car unattended, and close all windows before stepping away.
BY HOONSIK WOO [woo.hoonsik@koreadaily.com]
