ST. LOUIS – Car thefts have spiked around the St. Louis region this year, particularly driven by a surge in stolen Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

In St. Louis City and St. Louis County, thefts of both vehicle makes are up more than ten times from last year’s levels, according to data requested from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and St. Louis County Police Department.

As of Oct. 4, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department reports a combined 2,701 thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Compared to that same timeframe last year, there were only 215 such thefts. Thefts of both makes are 12.5 times more likely in St. Louis City compared to last year.

As of Sept. 19, the St. Louis County Police Department reports a combined 884 thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles. Compared to that same timeframe last year, there were only 91 such thefts. Thefts of both makes are right around 10 times more likely in St. Louis County compared to last year.

Leaders in St. Louis City want to be proactive on the situation. In August, the St. Louis city counselor’s office sent letters demanding action from Kia and Hyundai, chastizing the car manufacturers for failing to install an engine immobilizer in many of their vehicles. Police claim this was discovered in a TikTok trend earlier this year, leading to a spike in such thefts not only in St. Louis, but also nationwide.

A report from Carscoops.com notes that St. Louis is close to filing such a lawsuit. FOX 2 has reached out to the St. Louis Counselor’s Office and St. Louis Mayor’s Office for comment. A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office shared this brief comment on the situation…

“The City Counselor’s office is currently reviewing responses from the manufacturers.”

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Director of Public Safety Dan Isom signed off on the letters sent to the counselor’s office, which state the companies are contributing to a public nuisance in the city.

“The (City of St. Louis) demands that Kia and Hyundai mitigate the defective conditions providing thieves the ability to steal cars, destroy property, endanger city drivers and themselves, and in some cases committing very violent crimes,” Dan Isom, Director of Public Safety for the City of St. Louis, told FOX 2 in August.

While awaiting a response, St. Louis city leaders encourage owners of Kia and Hyundai vehicles to check with their local police departments to see if car clubs are available to help reduce a spike in thefts.