The Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, and Hyundai Elantra made the top 10 most-stolen cars list for the first time.

Per the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Optima was in fourth place, the Sonata was in sixth place, and the Elantra was in seventh after never having appeared on the list before. At the top of the list was the Chevrolet pickup truck, which has been in the top two for the last three consecutive years.

JOBLESS CLAIMS DROP TO LOWEST LEVEL SINCE FEBRUARY AS LABOR MARKET KEEPS GOING

This comes after TikTok videos demonstrated how thieves damage the Kia or Hyundai steering consul and interfere with the ignition on vehicles older than 2021 but newer than 2010 — to the point that a key is no longer needed to start the car. Hundreds of copycats have used the method to steal cars across the country.

The Los Angeles Police Department reported Kia and Hyundai made up less than 13% of all vehicle thefts in the city last year but that this year, they account for almost 20%. The St. Petersburg Police Department reported there have already been 222 car thefts in the city this year, with about half using the TikTok method. The Chicago Police Department only saw 74 thefts in July and part of August last year. This year, there were 642 thefts, an increase of 767%.

However, the recovery rates for Hyundais and Kias were higher than average, between 87% and 95%.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Kia and Hyundai settled a lawsuit with $200 million to cover owners of affected vehicles, which amounted to 9 million — 4.5 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias in May. Drivers were able to receive up to $6,125 for the loss of their vehicle, up to $3,375 for damage to their vehicle and personal property, and costs covering insurance-related expenses and related expenses such as transit and ride-share costs not covered by insurance.

Nationwide, there were over a million cars stolen in 2022.