Between 2021 and 2023, Milwaukee Police Department reported a 43% decline in car thefts. Marquette University Police Department’s Assistant Police Chief Jeff Kranz said Marquette said has witnessed a similar trend on campus.

“Much like the Milwaukee Police Department, MUPD has also seen a decrease in auto thefts this year. We continue to promote the use of steering wheel locks if you own one of the targeted make vehicles, Hyundai & Kia,” Kranz wrote in an email.

Kranz said MUPD has steering wheel locks at their office for students and staff to pick up if they have a Hyundai or Kia, free of charge.

In 2021, MPD reported a total of 10,483 motor vehicle thefts.

In June 2021, the city of Milwaukee filed a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia due to a TikTok trend in which “Kia Boys” recorded how to steal certain models of Hyundai and Kias.

The models in the videos didn’t have an engine immobilizer, which only allows the car to start if the correct key is used to prevent “hot wiring.” This is a safety feature that most vehicles have. Kia models manufactured between 2011-2021 and Hyundai models between 2015-2021 weren’t built with them.

On May 18, the class action suit filed by the city of Milwaukee came to a close with a $200 million settlement. $145 million of this money will be given directly to car owners for “out-of-pocket” loses and software upgrades.

A press release by Hagens Berman included that some of the settlement money will also be given out to owners who had to pay towing fees, speeding tickets, red light tickets, any fines from when the vehicle was stolen, and replacement money for cars that were never recovered.

However, the settlement is not official until the settlement’s preliminary approval is approved by the court. It was submitted to the court in July.

As of November 2021, all new models of Hyundais and Kias have engine immobilizers. MPD reported 4,547 car thefts so far this year.

This story was written by Sophia Tiedge. She can be read at [email protected]