Here are the 20 most-stolen cars in unincorporated Pierce County. Is yours among them?

If you drive a Hyundai or Kia, then you might want to invest in a steering wheel lock. Newer models of those vehicles are being frequently stolen in the Pierce county region.

On Wednesday, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department reported the makes, models and years of the 20 most-stolen vehicles in unincorporated Pierce County in 2022. The release rounds out the state’s rise in reported vehicle thefts.

The department’s report pulled from data spanning January to October 2022. It found that 10 of the 20 most stolen vehicles in October were produced by Hyundai and Kia. Both manufacturers produce cars that are more susceptible to theft because of vulnerabilities in their ignition systems.

Tutorials on how to steal them began gaining traction on TikTok over the summer, said Sgt. Darren Moss Jr., a public information officer with the Sheriff’s Department. Moss said in an interview that auto thefts in the unincorporated county rose 96% in 2022 compared to the past five years on average.

“The biggest thing for us is making sure people are aware and that they can contact their auto dealer and try to figure out what the best way to secure their vehicle would be,” Moss said.

Aside from the more recent Hyundai and Kia models, most of the vehicles reported stolen were manufactured in the late 1990s to mid-2000s. The most stolen model overall this year in unincorporated Pierce County was a 1997 Honda Civic, followed by a 1999 Ford F-250 and 1997 Honda Accord.

Unincorporated Pierce County includes areas from Mount Rainier to the Key Peninsula and includes places like Parkland, Graham, Purdy, Spanaway, Frederickson, South Hill and Vaughn. It also includes much of the areas around Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Eatonville and Roy.

If year of the vehicle isn’t taken into account, then the Ford F-250 is the most stolen, followed by the Civic and Accord.

Pierce County has the second-highest number of reported vehicle thefts in the state after King County, according to data provided by Moss. Since the end of November, more than 15,000 vehicles have been stolen in King County, while Pierce County saw over 8,600 thefts. Pierce County includes the cities of Tacoma, Lakewood and Puyallup.

To avoid theft, Moss advises vehicle owners to follow these precautions:

• Remove or hide any valuables inside a car.

• Don’t leave a running vehicle unattended, which some might do when warming it up during frigid weather.

• Implement anti-theft devices like an alarm, steering wheel lock or kill switch.

• Park in well-lit areas, especially at night.

Apartment complexes are main targets for car thieves, Moss said. He encourages all apartment residents to invest in a steering wheel lock, which is available online for around $40.

WA state car theft

The News Tribune reported in April that car thefts in Washington spiked 93% from January to mid-April in 2022, compared to January through March of 2021.

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs said the rise in thefts was due to a July 2021 law change that restricts law enforcement’s purview to pursue and inspect suspects.