Kia vehicle thefts hit St. Paul, and there are few ways to stop them

Brittany McGibbon's heart sank as she left her porch.

It had been two weeks since a man tapped on her vehicle's window with a gun in an attempt to steal her Kia Sorento. She was able to drive away before he could open her door. But on April 29, the St. Paul resident looked up from her phone to see that both her vehicle and her husband's were gone. Only scattered shards of glass remained.

"I was just like, 'This is going to be such a nightmare,' " McGibbon, 36, said. "I guess I didn't expect, ever, [for] this to happen to us."

Her family is not alone.

A surge of Kia and Hyundai vehicle thefts has struck St. Paul, vexing residents, police and car manufacturers. But the problem is national, and officials say they have few means to fix it.

Police found McGibbon's stolen Kia 36 hours later with dents, a broken window, and purses and wallets that did not belong to her.

The insurance company said her car was totaled. After waiting three weeks for approval to pay for a rental car, she found that there were few left to choose from. One customer told McGibbon that his car was stolen, too.

"The people there were like, 'You guys are the 10th people today to come in because of a stolen car,' " McGibbon said. "The whole situation was just inconvenient and annoying and frustrating."

It's a situation many St. Paul residents are experiencing.

St. Paul police data show a 40% rise in car thefts this year compared with last year, and Kias are among the hardest hit. Compared with this time last year, thefts of Kias have increased from 24 to 248.

Police say this wave of thefts is part of a national trend that grew through social media videos. The videos show thieves using a manufacturer flaw in older Kias and Hyundais that allows them to bypass the ignition.

McGibbon did not know that. As a mother of two with pets, she found her Kia Sorento was ideal for transporting her family. And with limited options available thanks to a global car shortage, she decided to get another Sorento. Four days later, someone else tried to steal her vehicle. McGibbon ran outside, starting her car alarm and yelling as she scared the thief away. Although they did minimal damage to her car, McGibbon's sense of security is battered.

In a statement, Kia said it is aware of the rise of thefts for a subset of vehicles in the Twin Cities, and that 2022 model year Kias now have engine immobilizers installed as the standard. A Hyundai representative told the Pioneer Press that engine immobilizers are now standard in their vehicles as well. For McGibbon, the cost of buying another car would be too much.

"It still lingers. I don't even like this car and everything that it represents," McGibbon said. "I hate feeling that I don't have control or safety over my car ... even as a neighborhood, what do we do? We have 24 kids on this block."

St. Paul police spokesman Sgt. David McCabe said the increase in overall car thefts is not large but it remains a concern. McCabe said thefts are widespread, and an ebb in police recruits puts more strain on remaining officers.

"The increase in [stolen] Hyundais and Kias are an auto manufacturer issue where although we can offer suggestions, we can't do much," McCabe said. "It's a potentially life-threatening action that needs to be addressed."

One St. Paul resident, 70-year-old Phoua Hang, recently died in a hit and run accident with the driver of a stolen Kia. Elsewhere in the Midwest, Milwaukee saw a record 11,500 vehicles stolen last year, with no signs of the trend slowing down.

McCabe said such incidents are tragic, adding that the increase in thefts is being discussed at the local, county and state levels. SPPD is promoting awareness and vigilance in the meantime, advising vehicle owners to buy an after-market alarm and steering wheel lock.

For McGibbon's family, security has come in the form of community. Neighbors on the quiet street a few blocks from the governor's residence, where full trees shade narrow sidewalks and the sound of kids playing bounces between homes, now look out for each other. They shared video footage of the first man who tried to get McGibbon's car. Conversation about more lighting and safety features on the street have begun. Her advice to potential victims: stay alert.

"Don't think it's not going to happen to you, because that was us," McGibbon said. "I'm not going to live in fear, but I'm also not going to be unaware."