Guide
Car theft in Raleigh, and what it means for your keys
The Raleigh Police Department's area recorded 2,357 vehicle thefts in 2024, up from 983 in 2019, and 1.9 times the national rate per resident (FBI Crime Data Explorer). In 2025 the count fell to 1,575. Kias and Hyundais without immobilizers drove much of the rise; the software fix for those cars cut theft claims by about half, according to IIHS-HLDI.
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Raleigh's numbers
Vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents, Raleigh Police Department area vs. United States
RaleighUnited States
Raleigh's vehicle theft rate sat near the national rate from 2019 to 2022. Then it pulled away: 483 per 100,000 residents in 2024 against 258 nationally. Even after falling 33% from the peak, 2025 was 1.5 times the national rate, about 4.3 vehicles a day. The full data.
Vehicle thefts reported each month, Raleigh Police Department
What happened with Kias and Hyundais
Many Hyundai and Kia models from the 2010s were built without an engine immobilizer. IIHS-HLDI found immobilizers were standard on 17% of 2011 Hyundai and Kia models, against 92% for other brands. When a method for starting them spread on social media in 2022, thefts jumped.
In Raleigh, police reported 74 Kia and Hyundai thefts in the first quarter of 2023, 19 percent of all vehicle thefts in the city (CBS 17). For all of 2023, police counted 2,029 vehicle thefts, 540 of them Kias and Hyundais. Garner police said their thefts rose almost 150% from 2022 to 2023. More than half the cars taken were Kias and Hyundais. (The department's own count differs a little from the FBI figure for the same year; the two are compiled differently.)
Cary's own spike was smaller: 351 thefts in 2023, from 78 in 2019, still well below the national rate.
Vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents, Cary vs. United States
CaryUnited States
The fix, and its catch
Hyundai and Kia released anti-theft software. IIHS-HLDI found upgraded vehicles had theft claim rates 53% lower, and whole-vehicle thefts 64% lower, than vehicles without it. The catch: the immobilizer only arms when you lock the car with the key fob, not the door handle button. A federal court approved a $145 million class settlement in 2024.
When the keys are what got stolen
A Raleigh driver whose car and keys were stolen got the car back but not the keys, and asked on a local forum how to get the car "rekeyed." That is the right instinct. Have a locksmith or the dealer program new keys and erase the missing ones from the car's memory, so the stolen key no longer starts it. If the house key was on the same ring, with anything showing the address, rekey the house the same day. Rekeying.
What helps
- Get the software update if your Kia or Hyundai is eligible, and lock with the fob.
- A steering wheel lock is a visible deterrent.
- Don't leave a spare key or fob in the car.
- If a key or fob was stolen, have it erased from the car when a new one is programmed.
Questions people in Raleigh ask
Is my Kia or Hyundai eligible for the software update?
Many older models that start with a traditional turn key are. Your dealer can check by VIN.
Can a locksmith make my stolen key stop working?
On most cars with transponder keys, yes. When new keys are programmed, the old ones can be removed from the car's memory.
Sources
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: Raleigh Police Department (NC0920100) and Cary Police Department (NC0920300), summarized offenses (pulled October 28, 2026)
- CBS 17: Homicides down so far this year, Raleigh police chief says; vehicle thefts up (May 11, 2023)
- CBS 17: Garner police see 150% increase in car thefts (early 2024)
- IIHS-HLDI: Anti-theft software tamps down viral theft trend targeting Hyundai, Kia vehicles (August 7, 2024)
- IIHS-HLDI: Hyundais, Kias are easy targets amid boom in vehicle thefts (September 22, 2022)
- Bloomberg Law: Kia, Hyundai drivers' $145 million theft deal gets final stamp (October 3, 2024)