Kansas City police offer free locks to Kia, Hyundai owners

This photo provided by Zenith Auto Care shows damage to a steering wheel column and ignition assembly after the car was stolen, on April 20, 2023, in North Las Vegas. A sharp uptick in thefts of Hyundais and Kias over the paast two years has been linked to viral videos posted to TikTok and other social media platforms that teach people how to exploit a security vulnerability to steal the cars. (Zenith Auto Care via AP)

by: Heidi Schmidt

Posted: May 31, 2023 / 03:45 PM CDT

Updated: May 31, 2023 / 03:46 PM CDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police are working to help thousands of people at risk of being targeted by car thieves.

The department is giving away steering wheel locks to people who own certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

It comes after Hyundai Motor America and Kia America, Inc. agreed to pay $200 million to settle a class-action lawsuit.

Owners of certain models sued after a viral TikTok challenge showed users how to hot-wire certain models and steal them.

Police departments across the country have reported thieves have stolen thousands of cars since the video was posted.

The car makers are working on software updates to fix security issues. Until the updates are ready, Kia and Hyundai are providing police departments with steering wheel locks to give away to owners.

The locks are available at KCPD’s six patrol stations or Police Headquarters downtown. Owners can pick up a free lock between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Valid ID and proof of ownership are required to get a lock.

The locks are for Kansas City residents with the following cars: