Kent Police will distribute free steering lock devices for Kia and Hyundai owners (who are Kent residents) on Feb. 28 and March 4 in an effort to help curtail the high number thefts of those vehicles.
The distributions will be from 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 in the lobby of City Hall, 220 Fourth Ave. S., and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 4 in front of the Kent Police Department, 232 Fourth Ave. S.. The March 4 site is a cutout drivers can pull into to pick up the device and they must have proof of residency and vehicle ownership.
Here are a few things to keep in mind before you pick up your lock, according to Kent Police:
• There are no stipulations on the Kia locks. Any year, make and model qualify.
• For the Hyundai’s the vehicle must be a 2021 or older with a key ignition start.
• When you come and pick up your lock, you will need to bring proof of Kent residency (utility bill, credit card statement, mortgage statement, etc). You will also need to bring proof of ownership of either your Kia or Hyundai (title, registration).
Kia and Hyundai are providing the steering wheel locks to Kent Police to give out to residents. These will be given out on a first come first serve basis, according to police.
For more information or questions, contact Stacy Judd at sjudd@kentwa.gov.
Software updates
Kia and Hyundai are rolling out free software updates to vehicle owners.
The updates are free for millions of vehicles that are missing a key anti-theft device, an issue that was exploited on social media and led to rampant theft of the cars, according to cbsnews.com on Feb. 14.
About 4.5 million Kias and 3.8 million Hyundais are eligible for the software update, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Vehicle owners can contact Hyundai at 800-633-5151 and Kia at 800-333-4542 for information on the software update.
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