Why Hyundai's Elantra And Sonata Are The Most Stolen Cars In The US

If you're worried that your car is a popular target for theft, it may or may not help to know that some cars are more likely to be stolen than others. A little over a year ago, the National Insurance Crime Bureau revealed the most stolen cars in the United States and it's no longer pick-up trucks thanks to a startling social media trend. The top three cars on the 2023 list are now the Hyundai Elantra at 48,445 thefts, the Hyundai Sonata at 42,813 thefts, and the Kia Optima at 30,204 thefts. 

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What moved the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 to the fourth spot with nearly 6,500 fewer thefts than the Kia Optima? The NICB believes it's due to a social media trend from 2023 that revolved around stealing Hyundais and Kias. Of the cars reported stolen in 2023, more than 85% were recovered, 34% within a day of the report. Said NICB President and CEO David J. Glawe: "NICB works with law enforcement agencies and industry partners to deploy advanced technologies and strategies to combat vehicle theft from organized criminal networks and individuals. Even as we work to deter crime, it is crucial for owners to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to protect their vehicles."

Who are the Kia Boys?

An online community started to emerge in 2023 that called themselves the Kai Boys. They'd post rap songs to Spotify and YouTube that bragged about stealing Hyundai and Kia cars and even post videos on TikTok of them dangerously racing around in these stolen cars. Why these two car brands? Hyundai and Kia cars sold between 2015 and 2019 lacked electronic immobilizers, making it easier than usual to steal the cars — so easy, in fact, that Hyundai and Kia agreed to a $200 million settlement after the Kia Boys' videos and antics led to a class action lawsuit from car owners. The city of New York also sued the two car companies on the grounds that the thefts were using up too many police resources.

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Cities across the United States reported a shocking increase in stolen Hyundai and Kia cars after 2020 — and they blamed the Kia Boys. Cody Taylor, service advisor in Columbus, Ohio, told The Verge that it started "going crazy" when the videos of stolen Hyundai and Kia cars flooded TikTok. Many service garages couldn't keep up. To deter the largely underage teens from creating more chaos by crashing more stolen cars, Hyundai and Kia provided millions of car owners with anti-theft software for free and donated steering wheel locks to some drivers as well. It seems that the Kia Boys phenomenon has died down, so it will be interesting to see which cars were the most stolen of 2024 when the data is released later this year.

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