MIDDLETON, Wis. — The Middleton Police Department and South Korean automaker Hyundai have teamed up to offer free steering wheel locks to drivers of certain Hyundai vehicles that have drawn the attention of thieves.
In a news release Tuesday night, the city’s police department said it will offer the wheel locks to people who live and work in Middleton and whose Hyundai vehicles do not have an engine immobilizer. Generally, that is vehicles that use a traditional key ignition, police said.
The locks will be available for pickup on a first-come, first-served basis at the police department’s headquarters at 7341 Donna Drive.
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The move follows a surge in vehicle thefts involving models from Hyundai and its sister brand Kia in Madison and elsewhere. In June, the Madison Police Department said more than half of the stolen vehicle cases it was investigating involved the two brands.
A vulnerability issue has made certain vehicles from the two manufacturers easier to steal, even without a thief having the key.
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