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October 31, 2023
Kia and Hyundai theft plague worsens for Columbus motorists
The Columbus Dispatch, October 31, 2023
For nearly two years, Kia and Hyundai owners have had to be worried about the ease with which their vehicles get stolen.
The trend isn't slowing more than three-quarters through 2023.
In 2022, Columbus reported 11,020 vehicles stolen, with 4,565 or 41% being Kias or Hyundais. That percentage has increased to 51% in 2023, with 4,196 of the total 8,249 cars reported stolen through the end of September being a Kia or Hyundai.
In September, Columbus police took reports for 919 stolen vehicles, 519 of which were a Kia or a Hyundai, or 57% of the total vehicle thefts for the month.
Those percentages are significant increases over 2020 and 2021, when Kia and Hyundai thefts amounted to 9% and 11% of all vehicle thefts, respectively.
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Here's the top 10 vehicles most likely to be stolen in Ohio. Is yours on the list?
The Columbus Dispatch, October 31, 2023
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the number of vehicles reported stolen across the country increased 7% in 2022.
Data from the first six months of 2023 shows Ohio has reported a 15% increase year-over-year in the number of vehicles stolen across the state, with more than 15,600 reports taken already this year.
Hyundai and Kia models remain high on the list due to TikTok and the ease in which certain models are stolen. That trend showed little signs of abatement this year despite public service campaigns and software patches making stealing Hyundais and Kias more difficult.
Here are the top 10 vehicles reported stolen nationwide in 2022:
- Chevrolet pick-up truck (full size)
- Ford pick-up truck (full size)
- Honda Civic
- Honda Accord
- Hyundai Sonata
- Hyundai Elantra
- Kia Optima
- Toyota Camry
- GMC pick-up truck (full size)
- Honda CRV
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