jeez, this seems like the end of an entire class of locks. first kryptonite’s bike locks were shown to be opened with a ballpoint pen, and now master lock’s steering wheel locks also seem to have the same issue. hopefully master lock will do a recall and let folks exchanges these.
Can’t cut through solid steel bar?
oh well just cut the steering wheel and pull the bar lock out. Seen a person steel a car in under a minute using this method.
It seems that all locks that have the cylindrical configuration are prone to this problem. There was a recent new reporting on a large bike lock manufacturer to recall their “heavy-duty” lock due to poor design.
It’s always the same thing. Protection through obscure methods will get you going for a little while and then it will be cracked.
Good ol’ keys are not 100% secure but they are standard, they don’t cost $200,000 to the user to make a new one and they are proven to work, assuming the internal mechanism is of proper quality. It’s proven, it’s clear, you know on what you will embark when you use the mechanism A or B.
By using other means, you take the chance someone will hack your cute little puppy using a ballpoint pen.
This site is not Mozilla-friendly. When I use Mozilla I cannot see the images. Can we fix that???
Thanks,
Tom, the sailor of the sweetwater sea
i’m using mozilla firefox PR, and i can see everything fine. kind of weird if it affects mozilla but not firefox.
I think the vulnerability issue of steering wheel locks might be overstated a bit. Several years ago (I admit that steering wheel locks may have gotten a bit better by now) while on a photo shoot one of the models had given his keys to a friend so they could do something at his house. He thought he was fine since he had an extra car key with him, but he forgot he didn’t have an extra key to the steering wheel lock.
I had a pair of bolt cutters with me and consented to trying to cut the thing off, although I didn’t especially want to ruin my bolt cutters. I put them on the bar and started squeezing the handles together slowly. I kepy putting more and more pressure on, figuring that at any moment it would become really difficult. A few seconds later, with not too much effort on my part, the bar was cut without even a large “pop” normally associated with something finally giving way.
So I always wonder when people say thieves could just cut your steering wheel. Given my experience, I’d say just chop the steering wheel lock.
if the steering wheel locks are able to be cut by a bolt cutter. wouldn’t the thieves have a hard time trying to drive the car because of the steering column lock that locks the wheel and prevents the car from being driven off. or how would a theif by pass that? using a bolt cutter to cut it off or what ways could they by pass it? i’m a concerned driver and i don’t want my car to be stolen. i want to know how they would bypass that steering column lock so i could protect my car. thank you please reply
I am concerned about receiver locks for a travel trailer. keyed alike set of three locks (one sticks a ball up inside the socket and locks on)
these are blade keys, like the steering wheel locks. are barrel keys (like on coke machines) more secure against hacking and theft?
thanks
I agree the steering wheel bar locks are easy to bypass. Check out our steering column locks at http://www.simjack.com. They wrap completely around the steering column and protect the ignition. If you cant get to the ignition, then you cant move the steering wheel.
A much better idea!!