SoCal car thieves targeting two types of vehicles amid rash of thefts

Nypost · Aug 18, 2026 · 422 words · By Katie Jerkovich

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What to know about SoCal car thieves targeting two types of vehicles amid rash of thefts

SoCal car thieves targeting two types of vehicles amid rash of thefts See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 10

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

SoCal car thieves targeting two types of vehicles amid rash of thefts See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The California Post on Google A recent uptick in the theft of Kia and Hyundai vehicles has police in Manhattan Beach warning drivers to take extra steps to protects their cars.

Common ground

The Manhattan Beach Police Department said a rash of thefts of the two brands during the week of Aug.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: SoCal car thieves targeting two types of vehicles amid rash of thefts?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The Manhattan Beach Police Department said a rash of thefts of the two brands during the week of Aug. 6-12 prompted them to issue measures drivers should take to prevent becoming a victim?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/18/us-news/manhattan-beach-sees-uptick-in-two-type-of…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4

verified Verified 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

check_circle Corroborated 1

verified Verified By Reference 1

verified

Claim 1: “The Manhattan Beach Police Department said a rash of thefts of the two brands during the week of Aug. 6-12 prompted them to issue measures drivers should take to prevent becoming a victim.”

VERIFIED

A web search result directly quotes the Manhattan Beach Police Department stating that a rash of thefts during the week of Aug. 6-12 prompted the issuance of preventative measures.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On October 1, 2017, a mass shooting occurred when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on the crowd attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada from his 32nd-floo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Las_Vegas_shooting

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Law enforcement in Los Angeles County is conducted by a variety of law enforcement agencies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_Los_Angeles…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Manhattan Beach is a residential neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east, by Sheepshead Bay on the north, and Brighton Beach to…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Beach,_Brooklyn

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 2: “Drivers have until March 31, 2027, to submit their claims for reimbursement, which will be distributed on a “rolling basis.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding a reimbursement deadline of March 31, 2027.

check_circle

Claim 3: “Kias and Hyundais sold between 2011 and 2022 have been popular targets in recent years as they lacked engine immobilizer, allowing a thief to steal the vehicle whether they had a proper key or not.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (web search and Wikipedia) confirm that Kia and Hyundai vehicles from 2011-2021/2022 lacked engine immobilizers, making them easy targets for theft.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Hyundai Accent (Korean: 현대 엑센트), or Hyundai Verna (현대 베르나) is a subcompact car produced by Hyundai. In Australia, the first generation models carried over the Hyundai Excel name used by the Accent…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Accent

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kia Carnival (Korean: 기아 카니발) is a minivan manufactured by the South Korean automaker Kia since 1998. Before the fourth generation, it was marketed as the Kia Sedona in North America and serveral …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Carnival

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kia Challenge is the viral TikTok trend to which a series of motor vehicle thefts is attributed, targeting Kia and Hyundai vehicles in the United States manufactured between 2011 and 2021. The tre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Challenge

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 4: “The company estimates that more than 4.9 million vehicles across the U.S. still need a fix.”

SINGLE SOURCE

Web search results mention millions of vehicles needing fixes and one source mentions 8.3 million vehicles as targets, but the specific figure of '4.9 million still needing a fix' is not explicitly corroborated across multiple sources in the provided evidence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Millions of Hyundai and Kia owners in the U.S. are finally getting a long-overdue security fix, years after a surge in thefts exposed serious vulnerabilities in the automakers’ vehicles.
https://daxstreet.com/news/336506/after-years-of-theft-and-p…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Data from seven U.S. cities gathered by The Associated Press shows that the number of Hyundai and Kia thefts is still growing despite the companies’ efforts to fix the glitch, which makes 8.3 million …
https://apnews.com/article/hyundai-kia-tiktok-theft-stolen-8…

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web search NEUTRAL — About 4.5 million Kia and 3.8 million Hyundai vehicles were manufactured without immobilizers, making them easier to steal.Hyundai has responded with wide-ranging initiatives to enhance the security o…
https://www.azfamily.com/2024/05/08/kias-hyundais-still-stol…

info

Claim 5: “Fifteen states have more than 100,000 Kia and Hyundai vehicles on the road vulnerable to the issue, with California ranked No. 1 with 506,000 cars.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim contains general information about Hyundai's global presence and oil consumption, but no data regarding the number of vulnerable vehicles per state or California's specific count.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Hyundai vehicles are sold in 193 countries through 5,000 dealerships and showrooms.[9] As of November 2024, Hyundai is the world's third-largest carmaker in terms of production, behind competitors Toy…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Motor_Company

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Welcome to the official site of Hyundai USA. Explore cars, SUVs, electric vehicles, features, offers, inventory and dealer info.Enjoy fast oil changes and more to help maintain your Hyundai. Car Care …
https://www.hyundaiusa.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Если расход масла (обычно) больше литра на 1 000 км, нагар часто бывает с намытостями по периметру поршня в местах касания с гильзой (светлые проплешинки, через которые просвечивает материал поршня), …
https://www.drive2.ru/b/729867089585635387/

help

Claim 6: “Earlier this year, the two car brands agreed to a $9 million class action settlement for victims of the trend.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the search results regarding a $9 million class action settlement.

verified

Claim 7: “A popular TikTok trend a few years ago provided tutorials on how to start cars from the Hyundai Motor Group without keys, using a USB cable and a screwdriver.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly mentions the 'Kia Challenge' as a viral TikTok trend involving the theft of these vehicles, and web search results link the trend to the security vulnerabilities.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Automotive hacking is the exploitation of vulnerabilities within the software, hardware, and communication systems of automobiles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_hacking

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — CES (formerly an acronym for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Typically held in the first Tuesday of January at the Las Vegas …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Electronics_Show

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hyundai Motor Company, often referred to as Hyundai Motors (Korean: 현대자동차) and commonly known as Hyundai (현대; [çəːndɛ]; 'modernity'), is a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer headquarte…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Motor_Company

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 8: “A recent uptick in the theft of Kia and Hyundai vehicles has police in Manhattan Beach warning drivers to take extra steps to protects their cars.”

VERIFIED

Web search results explicitly confirm that the Manhattan Beach police warned drivers about a rising uptick in Kia and Hyundai thefts.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Law enforcement in Los Angeles County is conducted by a variety of law enforcement agencies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_Los_Angeles…

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 9: “In response to the viral trend, automakers rolled out free fixes for Hyundai and Kia owners, offering them “free steering-wheel locks or a free software upgrade,” Carfax.com reported.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant school enrollment links; no evidence regarding Carfax or the specific 'steering-wheel locks' offer was found in the provided results.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — If your account has been created, you can login here to start new student applications
https://secure.gradelink.com/171/enrollment

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — { {$ ('If your account has been created, you can login here to start new student applications')}} { {$ ('Or you can continue a previously started application')}}
https://secure.gradelink.com/3015/enrollment?sid=3015&sid=30…

travel_explore

info

Claim 10: “As a result, the car brands quickly rose to the top of the 10 most stolen cars in America list, according to Auto Blog.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While web search results confirm that Kia and Hyundai theft rates have skyrocketed in many cities, there is no specific evidence provided in the search results confirming the 'Auto Blog' list specifically.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The K platform series are platforms developed by Hyundai and Kia for its range of automobiles since 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai-Kia_K_platforms

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kia Seltos (Korean: 기아 셀토스) is a crossover SUV manufactured by Kia since 2019. It is positioned between the smaller Stonic, Soul, or Sonet and the larger Sportage in Kia's global SUV lineup. The S…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Seltos

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kia Telluride is a mid-size crossover SUV with three-row seating manufactured and marketed by Kia since 2019. Positioned above the Sorento, it was previewed as a concept car in 2016, with the pro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Telluride

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.