900 Kia Engines Stolen Over The Last 5 Years

KatadataOTO – At least 900 Kia engines have been stolen in India in the last five years. This was only discovered after the South Korean company conducted a year-end audit in March 2025.

Reported by Road and Track, hundreds of engines were taken in stages and are suspected to involve several Kia employees. The police even consider the theft to be so well-coordinated that it took time for the company to realize it.

“The initial investigation indicates that the engines were stolen in a gradual and planned manner. There was definitely an insider involved, and we suspect a conspiracy between former and current employees,” said Venkateswarulu, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Penukonda, as reported by Road and Track (10/04).

Although it was not specified which engines were taken by the perpetrators, the theft could not have been done carelessly. The items are quite large and certainly difficult to hide.

Photo : KatadataOTO

The police initially suspected that the engines were taken while being transported from the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India to the Kia factory in Andhra Pradesh. However, after further investigation, that theory has been cast into doubt.

They believe that the thieves took the engines from the Kia factory and manipulated company records to cover their tracks. This made the theft neater and harder for the company to trace.

Nevertheless, a Kia spokesperson revealed that the theft did not affect vehicle production. This is because since the factory opened in December 2019, it has continued to produce between 300,000 and 400,000 cars annually.

However, the police have confirmed they will conduct an in-depth investigation. They have even formed three special teams to investigate this case, and it is hoped the investigation can proceed quickly.

Photo : TrenOto

As of this writing, Kia has not given an official comment. They are committed to giving the police the opportunity to conduct their investigation first.

It should be noted that Kia India is responsible for producing several global products and exporting them to several countries. One of them is Indonesia, which sources several models from there.