HAMILTON, Ohio — The Hamilton Police Dept. has announced it will give steering wheel security locks to owners of Kia vehicles.
The locks were sent to police departments across the country after a large amount of Kia thefts have occurred.
“If you reside in the city of Hamilton, contact the Hamilton Police Department Public Affairs Section at (513) 868-5811 x 2007 to receive a lock,” the department posted to Facebook on Wednesday.
Thieves have targeted Kias made since 2011 and Hyundais made since 2015 because many have a security design flaw, police and industry groups say.
To steal many Kias and Hyundais that have insert-and-turn keys, thieves need only to remove the steering columns and use a standard USB cord to start the engines.
Thieves have posted videos on TikTok, Facebook and other social media websites showing them jacking vehicles or providing instructions on how other people can steal the cars themselves.
Kia has said all of its 2022 models and trims have an immobilizer applied either at the beginning of the year or as a running change.
Hyundai said immobilizers became standard on all vehicles produced after Nov. 1, 2021.
