Milwaukee car thieves are crazy for Hyundais and Kias

The city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is another metro area dealing with rising crime rates, car theft in particular having become another epidemic. Thieves stole 4,254 vehicles in Milwaukee last 2020, a figure that was 29% up on the number of thefts in 2019. The reversal countered a trend of declining grand theft auto in the city since 2015. As various outlets have reported, from the beginning of this year until October 18, 8,432 car owners had their rides stolen, a supercharged boost of nearly 172%. Over the summer, the increase over last year had been even higher, at 192%. The city's prior high was nearly 8,500 car thefts in 2006; this year is on pace to break 10,000 stolen cars.

Within those figures, sometime last fall, local police noticed car thieves beginning to focus on 2011-or-newer Kia models and 2015-or-newer Hyundai models, the two brands having become a particular specialty since. One report saying Hyundai thefts were up by 1,715%, Kia thefts up 3,183%, both brands making up two-thirds of total thefts. No one is sure why, though; Denver is the only other city in the country where the South Korean brands have become low hanging fruit.

What's known is that the vehicles don't have an engine immobilizer, and breaking in through a rear window doesn't trip an alarm. Once thieves get the glass out of the way, they peel back the steering column cover and start the car with a tool like pliers or, in some cases, a USB cable. Sometimes the same car gets stolen more than once, or police have seen some sold for as little as $25. A local shop said it would stop repairing stolen Hyundais and Kias because it can't get the steering columns anymore, and it doesn't want the cars sitting on its lot ripe for getting stolen again.