ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – About 200 drivers picked up free steering wheel locks at an event Wednesday hosted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The event was in partnership with Kia and Hyundai after what deputies said has been a rise in Kia and Hyundai car thefts.
The cars with a key start-up became a hot commodity for teen thieves last year, with people posting instructions on how to steal them on social media.
Orange County deputies said that of the more than 2,361 car thefts investigated last year, 436 of them were either Kias or Hyundais. That’s about 18% of all car thefts last year in the county.
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One driver told News 6 that his 2013 Hyundai accent was stolen three weeks ago.
“Orange County found it two days later. Thank God it wasn’t wrecked or anything like that. I got it back, so hopefully this will help,” he said.
Sheriff John Mina was also on hand during the giveaway.
Driver Teresa Moore picked up a free steering wheel lock. She’s a grandmother of six children and said she just wants to be safe.
“I want to get to my destination, park and be able to leave again. So that’s really important to me, especially when I have the children,” Moore said.
Viewers might remember when News 6 spoke with Edwin Rodriguez in Debary last year. We spoke with him after he got his car back when three teens were arrested and charged in the theft of his and his wife’s Kia 2019 Seoul.
“It makes me very upset and very mad, especially for low-income people,” Rodriguez said.
Orange County deputies said the steering wheel locks are vital, but they offered other advice, too.
“Don’t leave your car running, and take your keys out of the car,” OCSO Sgt. Sergio Uribe said.
The sheriff’s office said it also purchased more wheel locks for all cars — and will be hosting future giveaways for the community. They will post details on their social media pages.
News 6 reached out to both automakers.
In a statement, Kia said they’ve installed enhanced security software on certain models not equipped with an immobilizer. They’re also offering free steering wheel locks to affected owners.
Kia’s full statement can be read below:
Kia has been installing enhanced security software to restrict the unauthorized operation of vehicle ignition systems on certain models not equipped with an immobilizer. Kia has notified over 2 million eligible owners across the country by mail and asking them to bring their vehicle to the nearest Kia dealership for the free upgrade which takes under an hour to install. Thousands of owners have been to their dealer to receive the upgrade and it will be available for owners of additional affected vehicles over the next few months.
In addition to the software upgrade, Kia continues to make steering wheel locks available to affected owners - at no cost - through interested local law enforcement agencies. Thus far, we have provided more than 33,000 steering wheel locks to over 250 law enforcement agencies across the country for them to distribute to impacted owners, and we will continue to make these locks available as they are needed. We have also distributed thousands of free steering wheel locks directly to impacted customers through a special website where owners can use their VIN to review the status of their vehicle’s eligibility for the free software upgrade and receive more information.
Kia America regrets the decision by certain insurers and its impact on owners and lessees of select Kia vehicles, which we anticipate will be temporary. We are in contact with major insurance carriers so they are aware of the actions we have taken and we are actively working with them to ensure our customers have access to quality and comprehensive coverage. Kia owners with questions may contact our Customer Care team directly at 1-800-333-4542 (4Kia) or the special section of the Owner’s Portal at Kia.com to research software upgrade eligibility and availability and receive more information on ordering a steering wheel lock if applicable at https://ksupport.kiausa.com/ConsumerAffairs/SWLD.
Meanwhile, Hyundai said it has a program with AAA to offer insurance options in most states for owners without push button ignitions, and they’ve also introduced a free software upgrade.
Hyundai’s full statement can be read below:
Hyundai Motor America and independently operated AAA insurers announced a program to offer insurance options in most states for owners of certain Hyundai vehicles without push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices. Under the program, AAA insurers will issue new and renewal policies for eligible affected Hyundai customers. Consumers can visit AAA.com/insurance to receive a quote. This aims to assist Hyundai owners who are unable to obtain insurance after various insurance carriers decided to stop writing policies for some older Hyundai models that are not equipped with push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices, after deeming them too easy to steal.
While these vehicles are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements, thieves discovered a specific method by which to bypass the vehicles’ security features, dismantle their steering columns, and create direct access to their ignitions. The thieves documented and promoted their exploits on TikTok and other social media channels, posting what amounted to “how to” videos and challenging others to copycat their crimes. The “Kia Challenge,” as it became known, fueled a spree of Hyundai vehicle thefts, which first began to spike in July 2022.
Hyundai is committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products, Hyundai: (1) made engine immobilizers standard on all vehicles produced as of November 2021; (2) introduced a free software upgrade to prevent the method of theft involved; (3) expedited the roll out of the free anti-theft software upgrade for affected vehicles. All of the nearly 4 million vehicles involved will be eligible for the upgrade, two months ahead of the original schedule.; (4) initiated a program to reimburse affected customers for their purchase of steering wheel locks; and (5) continues to provide free steering wheel locks to law enforcement agencies across the country for distribution to residents who own or lease affected models.
Statement from Hyundai