Free steering wheel locks issued for Hyundai, Kia owners in Oak Park

Megan Woods, Reporter

Social media trends have been blamed for increasing Hyundai and Kia car thefts.

On Thursday (May 18), the two automakers agreed to a $200 million class action legal settlement over claims that their vehicles are too easy to steal.

The money will be distributed to those whose cars were stolen to cover out-of-pocket costs.

While Hyundai and Kia are working on a long-term solution, they’ve provided law enforcement agencies like Oak Park Public Safety with steering wheel locks.

You can find similar locks online or in a store for $20 to $40, but Oak Park Public Safety is giving them out for free, specifically to Hyundai and Kia.

Steve Cooper, director of Oak Park Public Safety, said in 2022, the department saw a 30% to 50% increase in car thefts and believes it's linked to a recent social media trend that shows how to steal a Hyundai or Kia vehicle by manipulating the steering wheel.

"We saw our numbers actually increase significantly as it related to motor vehicle theft, and we started to look to see what specific vehicles and makes and models that were being targeted, and it was the Hyundai's and Kia's," Cooper said. "The majority of them, 90 plus percent of kids, are actually joy riding. We’re recovering the cars within a short period of time, probably some of them less than an hour."

The concept of a steering wheel lock isn't new, but Cooper said it is effective.

"Just securing it in place and actually locking that steering wheel, you know, the bad guys, they’re going to go somewhere else to try and target other vehicles or other opportunities of crime," Cooper said.

Oak Park residents can receive a free steering wheel lock while supplies last by stopping by public safety and showing their vehicle registration to prove they own a Kia or Hyundai.