INDIANAPOLIS — The number of Kia and Hyundai vehicles being stolen continues to surge. Thefts are now 10 times higher than in 2020.
The rise in stolen Kia and Hyundai started after a series of social media posts showing people how to steal them.
Naomi Richards, who lives in downtown Indianapolis, said she had her Hyundai Sonata stolen twice.
Richards said she parked her car in a gated lot at her apartment complex last week. When she came home on New Year's Eve, it was gone.
In September, she called the police when her car was stolen for the first time.
"I was actually going to a Colts game," Richards said. "I walked outside of my apartment, went to the same area and could not find my car. I looked down and saw my window, so I put two and two together."
Police tracked it down a week later. The back window was smashed, and there was damage to the steering column.
While the theft of certain Hyundai and Kia models is a nationwide problem, Indianapolis is seeing a dramatic increase.
Through Nov. 16, 2023, 1,192 Kias were reported stolen in Indianapolis. In 2022, there were 153. Year over year, that's a 679% increase.
As for Hyundais, 988 have been reported stolen in Indianapolis, up from 150 in 2022. Year over year, that is a 558% increase.
Hyundai and Kia have developed theft deterrent software for millions of their vehicles. It extends the alarm sound from 30 seconds to one minute. It also requires the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the vehicle on.
"Best thing I can say is just really take the extra precautions," Richards said. "Doesn't matter what area you're in. Get an air tag. I know a lot of law enforcement places are giving away those locks for your steering wheel. Just keep an eye on it, even though it sucks that you have to do that."
To find out if your vehicle is affected, you can enter your vehicle identification number here.