Kias and Hyundais targeted in local and nationwide surge of car thefts
BALTIMORE — Recent data reveals a significant increase in car thefts across Maryland and the United States, with particular focus on certain Kia and Hyundai models.
Social media videos demonstrating the ease of stealing these vehicles are believed to be contributing to the surge in thefts.
Sgt. Steven Sunderland of the Baltimore County Police, who has 17 years of experience in the auto theft division, said that all districts have experienced a "significant uptick" in car thefts since late last year.
"This is an easy one. It spread like wildfire on social media. And, since then, it's just word of mouth. The secret's up," Sunderland said. "These cars are easy to take."
In Baltimore County alone, nearly 200 Hyundais have been stolen in 2023, marking a 933% increase over the previous year to date. Meanwhile, Kias represent a 433% increase.
In the first three months of 2023, 186 Hyundais and 64 Kias have been reported stolen in Baltimore County. At the same time last year, 18 Hyundais and 12 Kias were reported stolen. Many of the thefts can be directly linked to social media videos showing how easy it is to steal certain models.
"The Hyundais and Kias are driving everyone's numbers right now," and this trend is consistent across other counties and regions, Sunderland said.
To combat the thefts, police departments are distributing steering wheel locks, and car manufacturers are offering free software upgrades. However, many owners of the affected vehicles have not taken advantage of these upgrades.
The targeted vehicles are those with keys rather than push-button ignitions.
Sunderland noted that most car thieves are juveniles and the stolen cars are often used in other crimes, such as burglaries, robberies, and shootings.
"It's everywhere, and it's nationwide," Sunderland said. "It's not just local to Baltimore."
Previous Coverage: