The duo tracked down their car, but were attacked when they confronted the thieves.

A witness to a stabbing incident has described the frightening screams of a man shouting "he stabbed me" on the street outside her home.

Two people are in hospital with stab wounds after they confronted thieves who stole a car in the Auckland suburb of Lynfield on Tuesday night.

A resident in the area said she was reading in bed when screams and shouting outside her home startled her.

"I heard cars and then shouting, it was the shouts that got me to the window to see what was going on," she said.

"(The screams) were really very loud, then I heard him scream, 'He stabbed me, he stabbed me'."

The witness, who did not want to be named, could not see much of the incident because of the darkness but said the man who had been stabbed seemed infuriated and agitated, which was enough to keep her indoors with her husband.

"His voice was very upset and he seemed very angry...I'm upset on behalf of the people that were hurt."

Police said the attack happened after thieves took off in a stolen car from outside a property in Lynfield.

The car owners searched the neighbourhood and found the vehicle on a street nearby.

When the two men confronted the alleged thieves, they were attacked and suffered stab woulds to their upper bodies and hands.

Up to four offenders fled in a second car, which police continue to seek.

Police and St John Ambulance responded to the incident about 11pm and the victims were rushed to Auckland Hospital with serious injuries.

Police said the victims were extremely traumatised.