Hyundai and Kia are giving away free steering wheel locks, as TikTok-inspired thefts continue

• A trend of breaking into Kia and Hyundai cars began on TikTok last year, spurring an explosion of theft in recent months.

• Now Hyundai, the parent company of Kia Motors, is giving away steering wheel locks to drivers.

• The South Korean carmaker plans to "combat this rise in car theft," the car maker told Bloomberg.

Hyundai and Kia are offering free steering wheel locks for drivers, as a trend of stealing the cars continues in cities across the US.

Thefts of older car models that lack electronic security features have been on the rise, thanks to the emergence of viral TikTok videos that show how to steal the vehicles and document the burglaries. In an effort to prevent future thefts, Hyundai — which is also the parent company of Kia Motors — is giving out steering wheel locks and urging software updates, Bloomberg reported.

"Hyundai Motor America is committed to ensuring the quality and integrity of our products," a Hyundai spokesperson told Bloomberg.