A new report from the Highway Loss Data Institute finds that some 2015 to 2019 cars and SUVs made by Hyundai and Kia are being stolen at nearly twice the rate of all other automakers.
An analysis of 2021 insurance claims found that many of these models now rival muscle cars and luxury SUVs as top targets for car thieves.
“There are other vehicles that have big theft problems. But right now, these are the poster child for random vehicles that just kind of popped to the top in terms of theft problems,” said Matt Moore, the institute’s senior vice president.
The Institute report notes that the models in question don’t have a widely used anti-theft system, called an immobilizer. It usesa computer chip in the key fob that communicates with the engine. Without a match, the car won’t start.
“It stops the ignition system and/or the fuel pump from functioning, and makes it very hard to steal the car,” he said.
Using a device that visibly locks the steering wheel might help.
“The folks who are stealing these vehicles are stealing them for joyriding as opposed to professional thieves, so it’s conceivable that having a club might cause a potential joy rider to walk past your vehicle and attempt to steal a similar one that doesn’t have it,” he told me.
According to ABC News: “Kia says it’s working to provide steering wheel locks at no cost to authorities in affected areas to deter thefts. Hyundai said it’s also providing the locks to police, and that in October, it will start selling a security kit that targets the thieves’ methods.”
More Info: Hyundais, Kias are easy targets amid boom in vehicle thefts
