The Ford F-150 commonly makes the list of most stolen vehicles in the U.S. However, there are a few important points to consider that cause the F-150 to be perceived as a much more easy target than other vehicles when this is not entirely true. First, the Ford F-series has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S for over 40 years, with a vehicle so incredibly common, you are going to have a larger total number of thefts, but not necessarily a higher likelihood of yours being stolen and it does not mean the truck is exceptionally vulnerable to theft. Second, the statistics group together all F-series trucks, including F-150 and Super duty models, these are not even close to the same vehicle after 1998. The 1999-2007 Super Duty Trucks were extremely vulnerable to theft due to a lack of the PATS anti-theft system (which F-150s produced since 1999 have had) and a weak door lock housing. While F-150s of this time period do certainly get stolen, they are not exceptionally easy to steal. In recent years the late model F-150s equipped with push button start have been hit hard with theft using the CAN Bus attack, relay attack, and OBD programming. While the F-150s are vulnerable, especially due to high resale and parts value, these problems are occurring across most makes and models now and is not unique to the Ford F-150. While they may not be the most vulnerable target out there, they are still frequently targeted and it is important to secure your investment and make your truck less desirable for a thief than your neighbor’s. Due to the vast difference in model years and generations of the F-150, we will refer you to more generalized articles for theft prevention options for these trucks.
If you have a Ford F-150 with a regular key, read our article on Layered Defense for Auto Theft Prevention. Keep in mind that pre-1999 trucks did not have Ford’s Passive Anti Theft System (PATS) and it is most important for owners of these trucks to add an aftermarket immobilizing device. 1999 and up have the PATS immobilizer system so while adding something like a Ravelco can be helpful for added protection, it is not quite as crucial for the trucks made after 1999 but before the use of push-start keys. If you’re on a limited budget adding something like a Viper alarm System (which has a starter interrupt also) may be a higher priority as it will also allow you to get alerts of what is happening to your truck.
If you have a newer F-150 equipped with push-to-start, read our article on late model vehicle theft, which covers how to combat high-tech thieves that use CAN Bus car hacking, relay attacks, and OBD key cloning to reign terror on owners of most newer, high value, push start vehicles, including the F-150. It will also be helpful to read our article on Layered Defense for Auto Theft Prevention. But the article on late model vehicle theft is more tailored to methods of theft that would be used on the newer F-150s.
The Jimmi’ Jammer is available for the 2015-2020 model years and can help make a thief’s entry into your truck more difficult. (Read more about Jimmi’ Jammers here.)
