The Hyundai Elantra was stolen 48,445 times in a single year, more than any other vehicle sold in America, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s own 2023 vehicle theft data report. The Hyundai Sonata ranked second with 42,813 thefts, and the Kia Optima placed third — the first time in years that full-size pickups didn’t dominate the list.

The reason traces back to a design shortcut, not a design flaw drivers could see. Millions of Hyundai and Kia models built without engine immobilizers could be started with nothing more than a USB cable jammed into a stripped steering column, and once that method hit social media as the so-called “Kia Boyz” trend, theft numbers exploded almost overnight in cities that had barely registered Hyundai or Kia thefts before.

Key Points

• Kia and Hyundai models occupied six of the ten spots on NICB’s 2023 most-stolen list, according to the bureau’s own report.
• The two brands accounted for 21% of all vehicle thefts nationwide in 2023, per NICB.
• Cities including Chicago, St. Paul, and St. Louis reported theft spikes of 600% to over 1,000% for these models at the trend’s peak, according to Fox News.
• Hyundai and Kia agreed to pay out up to $145 million in a class-action settlement with affected owners, as reported by Axios.

What’s Affected

• 2011-2021 Kia models and 2015-2021 Hyundai models built with a mechanical key ignition and no engine immobilizer.
• The Elantra, Sonata, Kia Optima, Kia Soul, and Kia Forte made up five of the top eight most-stolen vehicles in NICB’s report.
• Immobilizers became standard equipment on every Hyundai and Kia built after November 1, 2021, which is why the affected pool is a fixed, aging window of cars rather than an ongoing risk on new models.

What Owners Should Do

• Check whether a free anti-theft software update or steering-wheel-lock kit is still available through a Hyundai or Kia dealer for the specific VIN.
• Park in a garage or well-lit area and consider a visible steering wheel lock as a low-cost deterrent — thieves using the USB-cable method are looking for an easy, fast target.
• Owners of an affected model who were victimized may still be eligible to file a claim under the manufacturers’ settlement.

The good news is the numbers are already correcting. NICB’s most recent nationwide theft data shows Hyundai and Kia’s share of total thefts falling to 14% in 2025, down from 21% in 2023, which the bureau credits directly to the software fixes and steering column hardware Hyundai and Kia rolled out in response. It’s a rare case of a viral internet trend forcing two entire automakers to retrofit millions of cars already on the road — and a reminder that the cheapest security feature in a modern car is often the one nobody notices until it’s missing.