Blue Ash Police offering free vehicle locks to Hyundai owners

In cooperation with Hyundai Motor America, the Blue Ash Police Department is now offering FREE steering wheel locks (first come, first served to Blue Ash residents, and while supplies last).

You must show proof of ownership of a 2011 - 2022 Hyundai vehicle that has a keyed ignition and doesn’t have an immobilizer.

The Blue Ash Police Department reminds all motorists to take the following steps to avoid vehicle thefts:

1. Take your vehicle's key/fob with you; do not leave it in or on your vehicle.
2. Close and lock all windows and doors when you park.
3. Park in well-lit areas if possible.
4. Never leave valuables in your vehicle, especially if they can be seen from outside the vehicle.

The free steering locks can be picked up at the Blue Ash Police Department, 4343 Cooper Road.

Hyundai issued the following statement about the vehicle thefts:

Hyundai Motor America is committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products.  A subset of Hyundai vehicles on the road in the U.S. today – primarily “base trim” or entry-level models – are not equipped with push-button ignitions and immobilizing anti-theft devices.  It is important to clarify that an engine immobilizer is an anti-theft device and these vehicles are fully compliant with federal anti-theft requirements. Thieves discovered a specific method by which to bypass the vehicles’ security features and then documented and promoted their exploits on social media channels.

In response, Hyundai has taken comprehensive action to assist our customers, including: (1) made engine immobilizers standard on all vehicles produced as of November 2021; (2) fully rolled out a free software upgrade to prevent the method of theft involved, two months ahead of schedule; (3) introduced a program in partnership with AAA insurers to offer insurance options in most states for eligible affected Hyundai customers; (4) initiated a program to reimburse affected customers for their purchase of steering wheel locks; (5) launched https://hyundaiantitheft.com/ to provide owners with information on all of the support options available and created a dedicated customer service support team and call center, 888-498-0390, to assist impacted owners.  

Hyundai is committed to continuing our efforts in completing the software upgrade for all affected vehicles in the most effective manner possible. We are communicating with NHTSA on our many actions to assist our customers.