IL, If You Have This Car, You Can Get A Free Steering Wheel Lock

Thanks to a trend, some police in Illinois are taking an extra step to keep residents' cars safe.

For most of 2023, there's been the trend of Kias and Hyundais specifically being targeted for theft. It started as the "Kia Challenge" on TikTok, when a group of teens figured out that immobilizer-free Kias and Hyundais could be stolen in just a few seconds if you had a screwdriver and a USB cord. And because social media is the Land of Bad Ideas, people stealing the cars became a national problem.

KWQC reports the trend was seen in the Quad Cities too. Last September through last December (probably when the trend was really getting off the ground), 11 total Kias and Hyundais were stolen in the city. In December 2022, Rock Island police said they had 14 incidents within 24 hours.

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What Illinois Police Are Doing About It

Moline and East Moline police are teaming up with Hyundai to give away steering wheel locks to the drivers of Kias or Hyundais, according to KWQC.

Officers from both departments will be at Green Hyundai on Saturday from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. giving away the locks. If you want a lock, there are some requirements.

The free locks are only for our Illinois QC friends. You have to be a Rock Island County resident, show valid ID, and have your car registration for a Kia or Hyundai that was built anytime from 2011-2022 and is registered to an address in Rock Island County.

The police department has 240 steering wheel locks to distribute on Saturday so they'll only be available while supplies last.