Staggering numbers show Kias, Hyundais remain prime targets for Pierce County car thieves

PIERCE COUNTY — Kias and Hyundais continue to be a prime target for would-be car thieves in Pierce County.

According to new numbers released by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, 16 of the 20 most stolen cars in unincorporated Pierce County are Hyundai and Kia models. Of that list, those models occupy each of the top 13 spots.

Year over year, the numbers are even more stark. In the first quarter of 2022, Kia and Hyundai thefts were near zero. By 2023, that number had ballooned to nearly 150 for the second quarter of the year.

This trend started to surface in July of 2022, when a TikTok user posted a viral video showing people how to use a USB cable to exploit a vulnerability in some older Kia and Hyundai models. It was taken down a couple weeks later, but by that point the word had already gotten out.

Since then, thefts of those cars have skyrocketed with no clear end in sight.

That’s despite software upgrades the manufacturers offered to fix the vulnerability highlighted on TikTok. In the wake of those upgrades, Pierce County is still reporting a spike in theft attempts, however unsuccessful the efforts might actually be.

“It appears that car thieves (mostly juveniles) are breaking into any Kia/Hyundai they come across without much consideration for whether or not the cars can actually be easily stolen,” the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said on Facebook.

And if the car isn’t ultimately stolen, the attempt itself can still prove costly for the owner too.

“Even if the thief doesn’t get away with your car, a shattered window and damaged ignition can result in costly repairs, which can be delayed due to supply chain issues,” the PCSD noted.

Kia and Hyundai owners are being urged to use visual deterrents to fight this trend. Steering wheel locks can be especially useful, given that car thieves “aren’t interested in having to defeat” the method.

“They will move along on the path of least resistance,” the PCSD said.

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