COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cities across the state have tried to address the rise in KIA and Hyundai thefts, but owners still feel trapped and targeted. 

What You Need To Know

  • In Columbus, the percentage of stolen vehicles that were either a KIA or Hyundai jumped from 41% in 2022 to 51% in 2023
  • KIA has offered several fixes including a software update and hardware fixes to protect the ignition

  • Both Columbus and Cleveland have filed lawsuits against the dealerships and Cincinnati has a class action lawsuit against KIA and Hyundai

Several KIA and Hyundai owners have described the past two years as nothing but a nightmare. The infamous trend started in late 2021, with young teenagers breaking into and stealing specific models of KIA’s and Hyundai’s. 

Lena Knotek lives in Columbus and had her windows broken in July. She joined the “Ohio KIA/Hyundai Theft Victims” Facebook group. In 2022, Columbus police reported 41% of stolen vehicles being a KIA or Hyundai. That number rose to 51% last year. Knotek received a letter in the mail last week offering a hardware fix to protect her ignition but she said that doesn’t address the potential damage that can still happen. 

“So it just seems like another like could do it if I wanted to, but it’s really just I mean, they’re going to smash my window and then find out they can’t hot-wire my car,” said Knoteck. “I just don’t know, you know the point in that one either.”

Knotek said her car insurance premium has increased since this trend started. The city of Columbus and Cleveland filed lawsuits against both KIA and Hyundai almost a year ago. Cincinnati car owners filed a class action lawsuit last summer. Knoteck joined the California class action lawsuit, which could bring up more than $200 million in relief to KIA and Hyundai owners for damages, rentals, and more. She said the lawsuits are her only hope for getting a real solution. 

“We’re all just trucking through it and just waiting for this class action lawsuit to go somewhere, and then maybe we’ll get some sort of compensation for people that have had to pay to rent cars for months, people whose cars have been impounded for months know things like that,” said Knoteck. “I think I kind of hope more for other people than for myself.”

Knotek said while she waits for these lawsuits to move through the courts she wouldn’t mind a software update that would afford her a key fob versus a metal key, but said it would need to be widespread public knowledge in order to deter kids from breaking windows. In 2023, there were close to 400 charges in the Franklin County Juvenile Court for receiving stolen property or grand theft auto. Knotek also hopes law enforcement will work with customers on finding solutions to prevent the crime in the first place.

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