SPOKANE, Wash. — It's not hard to find a common thread when looking through cars stolen in Spokane.
That was the case for Kailien Parker.
"Yeah, this is just the rental," she pointed to a Chevy parked outside her Spokane Valley apartment. "It was stolen straight from my spot here."
Parker is usually a Kia person, explaining with her short stature it makes it easier to see. However, her Kia was taken July 14. She's just one of countless victims in this nationwide trend.
"Under the steering wheel, that compartment you can take that off you can actually use the back end of a USB, like what you put in your computer, you can actually put that into the ignition and start it," she said.
Spokane Police reports five Kias were stolen in one night across the city. So far, three have been found.
"Yeah, it's really easy and the worst part about everything is it's really popular on Tik Tok," Parker said. "There's videos going around on how to do this."
The key to the problem is the key. Experts say Kias and Hyundais don't have engine immobilizers, electronic security devices that keep the car from starting without the right key.
"We know that cars from 2011 to 2022 made by Kia and Hyundai do not have effective anti-theft devices," said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong during a press conference, when he joined a class action suit with other AGs suing the automakers.
Parker's car was found a day after it was taken on the opposite side of I90.
"I got very lucky," she said. "Mine's not totaled it just needs repairs."
Though she's still left with a repair bill of eight grand and an uncertainty about her go-to brand.
"If by the time I'm ready to get a new car and it's still happening, unfortunately I'm probably not going to get another one," she said. "Having your car stolen, it really affects you, ya know?"
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