Pittsburgh Police, AAA give out steering wheel locks to Hyundai, Kia owners to prevent thefts

PITTSBURGH — Local police partnered with AAA to help Hyundai and Kia owners protect themselves from thieves.

A software glitch in some Kia and Hyundai vehicles has led to an increase in car thefts for vehicle owners.

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Pittsburgh Police Chief Larry Scirotto said thefts have spiked since May.

In response, the bureau hosted an event at AAA’s East Liberty Office on Baum Boulevard to give out steering wheel locks, which will prevent any thieves from getting away with the vehicles.

Scirotto said the bureau has noticed a trend in the ongoing thefts.

“We saw the offender was also rather young, in some instances, 10 years old. So we realized in pretty short order it was not organized crime. They were not stealing them for profit, they were stealing them for fun,” Chief Scirotto said.

The glitch primarily impacts vehicles made between 2011-2022.

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