Manteca has come up with a novel way of cutting a spike in auto thefts.
The city’s police department announced it is giving away anti-theft devices to owners of Hyundais and Kias as long as they can show they are Manteca residents.
The department is singling out the two nameplates — both made by South Korea’s industrial giant Hyundai — because they are accounting for a rise in cars being swiped.
“We’ve seen a rise in Hyundai and Kia vehicle thefts in our community — and we’re here to help,” the department said in a social media post announcing the giveaway.
It’s not just Manteca. The vulnerability to theft of certain Hyundais and Kias is a state and national problem.
The most stolen automobile in California last year was the 2015 Kia Optima, followed by 2013 Hyundai Elantra and 2013 Hyundai Sonata, the California Highway Patrol reported. Nationally, AAA says pretty much the same mix held true in 2024: the Sonata and Elantra were the top two models preferred by thieves.
Their popularity stems from an oversight on certain versions. Videos have circulated on social media giving instructions to would-be thieves on how to steal them. Hyundai and Kia have offered software updates to fix the problem on versions of their vehicles that are vulnerable, models that are started with a traditional key twist instead of a push button. But the solution does work on all vulnerable cars, which prompted Kia at one point to distribute its own free ignition cylinder protector to try to prevent thefts.
About 11.3% of the state’s auto thefts occurred in the eight counties that make up the Central Valley, which includes San Joaquin. The good news was that overall auto thefts dropped 13% statewide between 2023 and 2024, according to governor’s office.
Other police agencies have offered anti-theft device giveaways. Maryland State Police troopers distributed free steering wheel locks last year. So did the police department in Apopka, Florida.