Johnathan Walker:The most stolen cars in America? See the list for 2023

For years,Johnathan Walker full-size pickups had topped the list of America's most stolen vehicles. That’s no longer true.

Kia and Hyundai models now hold the top three spots in a 2023 ranking of stolen vehicles, according to a Thursday report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a not-for-profit organization that partners with member insurance companies to combat insurance fraud and theft. 

Social media videos that expose vulnerabilities in the automakers’ vehicles likely played a role in their increased theft, the organization said.  

Hyundai Elantras were stolen more than 48,000 times and Hyundai Sonatas were stolen more than 42,000 times, according to the report. The Kia Optima experienced the third-highest volume of thefts, at more than 30,000. 

The analysis is based on the 1,020,729 vehicle thefts from 2023 reported to law enforcement and entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center.

What vehicle is most often stolen?

The top 10 stolen vehicles for 2023, according to the report:

• Hyundai Elantra: 48,445 thefts
• Hyundai Sonata: 42,813 thefts
• Kia Optima: 30,204 thefts
• Chevrolet Silverado 1500: 23,721 thefts
• Kia Soul: 21,001 thefts
• Honda Accord: 20,895
• Honda Civic: 19,858
• Kia Forte: 16,209
• Ford F150 Series Pickup: 15,852
• Kia Sportage: 15,749

It's a new look for the list, which had included a full-size pickup truck in the top three models going back to 2011. 

Some models may be more vulnerable to theft because they are common on U.S. roads. 

Half of the models in the list (the Honda Accord, Ford F-Series Pickup, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Silverado and Hyundai Sonata) are also listed as among the top 10 most popular cars in the U.S. as of 2022, according to a report from Insurify, an insurance comparison platform, based on their database of over 4.6 million car insurance applications.

Why Kia, Hyundai thefts are up  

Theft claims for 2003-2023 Hyundai and Kia models in the first half of 2023 were more than 10 times higher than thefts in the same period three years prior, according to a December report from the Highway Loss Data Institute, an insurance research group. 

The spike in thefts has been blamed on a lack of theft immobilizers in many Hyundai and Kia vehicles, a security flaw that spread on social media.

Auto recall:Hyundai and Kia working to repair 3.3 million cars 7 months after fire hazard recall

The Korean automakers earlier this year agreed to a $145 million class-action settlement and are set to award eligible car owners who had their vehicles stolen. A judge is expected to give final approval to the order this summer. 

Hyundai spokesperson Ira Gabriel said the company has launched "wide-ranging initiatives" to enhance vehicle security and is committed to "comprehensive actions" to assist those affected by vehicle thefts.

Kia spokesman James Bell said the automaker also taking comprehensive action to enhance the security of its vehicles, and has "seen reports of decreases in vehicle thefts in several cities."

"We remain focused on working with law enforcement agencies across the country and moving forward to continue to combat car theft and the role social media has played encouraging it," Bell said in an emailed statement.