It’s a rare day this author gets to combine his interests of the automotive industry and the YouTube channel for Security expert LockPickingLawyer. A video uploaded earlier this week provides opportunity for such a crossover.

At issue? The Steering Wheel lock apparently distributed by Hyundai/Kia after a rash of thefts which turned out to be largely down to many models of a certain era being devoid of modern electronic immobilizers. It only took a few nefarious individuals on TikTok to bust the problem wide open, detailing how they could make away with one of these vehicles thanks to bypassing its weak security tools, often using nothing more than a common USB charging cable.

At the time, these brands offered software updates which, among other things, permitted the car’s alarm to blare for 60 seconds instead of half that times. They also ponied up big bucks to some consumers for out-of-pocket losses and shipped out tens of thousands of Club-style steering wheel locks. It’s the latter with which the LockPickingLawyer had a field day panning in a video posted to his channel, a space that has more than 4 million subscribers.

The whole thing is worth a watch, especially since it is produced from the vantage point of someone whose focus is on security, not the auto industry. Defeating this device with tools (sold at the channel’s store, natch) seems to be a simple matter, though anyone choosing to deploy destructive entry methods won’t even need them. History is rife with stories of thieves cutting or sawing their way through a steering wheel in order to slide off this type of lock, to say nothing of those who allegedly used to spray them with a brittling chemical and then snap the things in two with a well-placed kick.

If you’ve not watched videos from that channel, consider this a recommendation to do so. The host’s voice is as soothing as their lockpicking techniques are efficient, and the clips aren’t drawn out for the sake of pandering to YouTube algorithms. There are few things in life more irritating than someone drawing a video out to 10 minutes or more when pertinent information could have been conveyed in 2 minutes or less. For this alone, LPL is “worth a sub,” as the kids would say.

*Editor's note: It should go without saying, but to be safe -- we do not condone or endorse any illegal activity.

[Image: Hyundai]

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