In the United States, the number of thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars increased 10 times
The number of complaints to insurance companies from injured car owners increased - there were seven times more of them (compared to cars from other manufacturers).
Some older Hyundai and Kia models produced between 2015 and 2019 are particularly vulnerable to car thieves. Less expensive versions of cars, such as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson, as well as the Kia Forte and Sportage, equipped with a turnkey ignition system, as opposed to cars that only require the push of a button to start, are about twice as likely to be stolen as other cars.
Many cars lack basic anti-theft technologies, such as electronic immobilizers.
In some states, such as New York, Washington and Delaware, there was a marked increase in the number of reports of thefts from Hyundai and Kia in the first half of last year. In Maryland, for example, theft claims increased from four (in the second half of 2022) to 14 (in the first half of 2023) per 1000 insured vehicles.
At the same time, thieves are actively sharing technologies for starting a car's engine through social networks.