2022 in Review: It Was Not a Good Year To Own a Kia or Hyundai in St. Louis

A look back at what happened in St. Louis in 2022

Dec 28, 2022 at 6:01 am

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Courtesy Nic Reese

A Hyundai Sonata sits abandoned after being crashed into a tree in St. Louis city.

The Kia Boyz TikTok challenge phenomenon was a fun story for a whole two minutes, but St. Louisans are long sick of getting their Kias and Hyundais stolen en masse. Over two weeks this summer, 356 were stolen in the city alone.

Thefts slowed slightly as temperatures dropped throughout fall, but with the dawn of a new year upon us, we're going to encourage those youths in the Lou who feel they must thieve to at least steal something that's a little less inconvenient for the victim. Political yard signs, maybe? Gaudy Christmas decorations?

Stealing isn't cool, but if you have to pilfer something, don't take the thing we need to get to work.

St. Louis 'Kia Boyz' Switch Stolen Cars as They Flee Police Helicopter: 3 St. Louis teens go from a stolen Hyundai to a stolen Kia, end up with "pissed" parents

Kia Boyz Use Kias, Hyundais to Smash Into Stores in St. Louis-Area Robberies: Thieves are now using the stolen cars in attempts to steal drugs and guns from local shops

St. Louis City Threatens To Sue Kia and Hyundai After Wave of Car Thefts: St. Louis averaged 21 Kia and Hyundai vehicle thefts per day in July

Welcome to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of 2022, a look back at the ups and downs of a turbulent year in the St. Louis region.

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