Title and story seem exaggerated. Yes, you can place an airtag or any other gps tracking device on anybody's car parked out in the open. But that does not lead to stealing. The actual act of stealing is when you break into the car using any means - mechanical or electrical and then drive away with the car. And that stealing action does not involve the airtag at all.

The vulnerability lies with the electronic keys used by the car manufacturers - yet rather than blaming them for lax security, the article chooses to focus on the airtag.