Kia, Hyundai theft hits Youngstown, Ohio area, victimized by local woman

STRUTHERS, Ohio (WKBN) — National Theft Problem kia and hyundai Cars have also been spotted in the Valley, one woman told First News after the Kia was taken from the Struthers driveway.

A viral social media post shows how to hotwire these cars. Most at risk are 2011-2021 models, which use a physical key instead of push-to-start.

Lee Ann Reda drives the 2015 Kia Sportage. She wakes up to find it’s missing on Saturday.

“I thought, ‘Maybe my husband ran for coffee or something,'” Leda said. “I came downstairs — I heard him in the basement and I was like, ‘Baby, my car is gone.'”

Reda’s Ring Doorbell video picks her car up in the driveway at 3:37 a.m. before the device “jams.”

Her neighbor’s door camera also stopped working around the same time. Reda believes the culprit may have used a device that affected her WiFi.

A car was found damaged just a few miles away on the south side of Youngstown on Monday.

“The driver they used is lying on the seat,” Leda said.

The surge in car thefts has been attributed to the TikTok challenge. Reda also notes an alarming trend of alleged car thieves posting fun rides on his social media.

“You can go to Instagram and type ‘Kia Boys’ and you’ll find them all over the country,” Leda said.

Cities across the country have filed lawsuits against Kia and Hyundai, alleging the companies failed to install standard anti-theft technology. cleveland filed its own lawsuit on March 8. columbus He also filed a lawsuit.

Car thieves damage the steering column when running a hot wire through the car.

“Steering columns have been on backorder for weeks, possibly months. That’s how many Kia’s have been stolen,” Leda said.

According to one of the local Kia dealers, 2011-2021 Kia drivers who use the key will be able to call the dealer. An employee there can ask for her VIN number and determine if the car is eligible for a software fix.

Leda said the whole experience violated her mood.

“I took that car to pick up my grandson, but I couldn’t,” Leda said. “Somebody was in my car. I don’t know what they did with my car.”

No arrests have been made in this case. If you know anything about the recent string of car thefts in the area, we recommend calling the police.