Here are the local police departments offering free steering wheel locks for Kia, Hyundai owners

Local police handing out free steering wheel locks

The Tukwila Police Department and the Kent Police Department will be handing out free steering wheel locks in an effort to protect cars from being stolen. The move follows a viral TikTok video showing how easy it is to steal KIA vehicles by using a USB cable.

In response to the increasing thefts of certain models of Hyundai and KIA cars, local law enforcements are offering free steering wheel locks to owners.

According to police, the recent spike in thefts are connected to a TikTok trend, where videos show how to easily steal certain Hyundai's and KIA's using a USB cable.

Earlier this year, the city of Seattle filed a complaint in federal court against the makers for failing to install anti-theft technology in some of their cars.

The lawsuit accuses Kia and Hyundai of endangering the public safety of the entire Seattle community by not installing engine immobilizers in many of their vehicles, as well as not issuing recalls for their older models that lack this technology.

Below is a list of local police agencies that are offering locks.

Kent

The Kent police announced that any year, make and model for KIA cars and Hyundai cars that are 2021 or older with a key ignition start qualify for a free lock.

The police department will be giving locks on Feb. 28 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in lobby of Kent City Hall on 220 4th Avenue South and then on March 4 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in front of the Kent Police Department off 4th Avenue.

To pick up a lock, drivers will need to bring proof of Kent residency (utility bill, credit card statement, mortgage statement, etc.), proof of ownership of either your KIA or Hyundai.

"These will be given out on a first come, first serve basis. When we run out, we will do our best to get more in, but it is not guaranteed," the department said.

Renton

The police department said it received a limited supply of locks, and anyone who owns a 2021 and older Hyundai model with a key ignition can pick up a free lock.

Drivers will need to make an appointment and once confirmed, they will need to bring their registration to Renton City Hall.

Their locks are on a first come, first serve basis, and it's one lock per registration.

As of Monday, Renton police said they have not received any locks from KIA.

Tukwila

Drivers can start picking up their locks at the Justice Center at 15005 Tukwila International Boulevard between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. any day of the week.

To get a free lock, owners/lessee must be a Tukwila resident, need a Hyundai or KIA car registration and bring your driver's license.

One lock will be issued per resident.

Puget Sound Auto Taskforce

The multi-agency announced last week that it will be locks delivered in the coming weeks.

In order to receive a lock, drivers will need to provide proof of registration.

The locks will be available for pickup at:

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department
Tacoma Police Department
Lakewood Police Department
Puyallup Police Department
Edgewood Police Department
University Place Police Department
Bonney Lake Police Department
Fife Police Department
Federal Way Police Department
Des Moines Police Department
Renton Police Department
Federal Way Police Department
Auburn Police Department

Hyundai announced earlier this week that it introduced a free anti-theft software upgrade to prevent thefts. The upgrade started rolling out Feb. 14 to more than 1 million model year 2017-2020 Elantra, 2015-2019 Sonata and 2020-2021 Venue vehicles. The software upgrade is scheduled to be available for the remaining eligible affected vehicles by June 2023. Click here for a list.

KIA said it has started notifying owners of the affected vehicles and that it expects software upgrades to be available in the next few months.