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Stolen tail light thread

DHMag

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So last night/this morning, i became a victim of stolen tail lights. It appears they used a screwdriver to punch thru the aluminum skin under the tailgate latch to open the tailgate. Already have insurance involved and the truck is at the dealer for a quote.

Who else has joined the party ?
20220921_071922.jpg
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WingShot

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Wow! Never heard of such a thing. Sounds like they knew what they were doing though.

I Googled it, appears to be a thing. Common on F150 and F250's I guess. Security screws available to keep them more secure.

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/people-keep-stealing-ford-f-150-taillights/

Hard to believe it would be very lucrative with the Ranger. Not that expensive and not nearly as common.

And really great advice on ways to avoid it...."Never leave your keys in your truck, always lock the doors, and park in well-lit areas. Having a warning device like an alarm or immobilizer can help too. " SMH
 

KJRR

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DukeCanBuildit

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That really sucks Dale. It’s happened to others. Between the meth-heads that rob us and the jerks at the body shops who buy stolen goods, how’s a working man supposed to stay ahead? Vehicle downtime, deductibles, and time off to manage these things are tough losses.

Hate those guys!
 

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Well, more Rangers on the road than we may realize. 2nd best mid-size seller for a while, and the lights are over 1k each for XLT/Lariat. I'm gonna remove my inner tailgate skin and epoxy a steel plate right to the backside of the outer skin at the latch to slow this thieving ass-hat process down.
 


Pinepig

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Well, more Rangers on the road than we may realize. 2nd best mid-size seller for a while, and the lights are over 1k each for XLT/Lariat. I'm gonna remove my inner tailgate skin and epoxy a steel plate right to the backside of the outer skin at the latch to slow this thieving ass-hat process down.
That is a good idea.
If mine didn't live in the garage I'd do the same thing.
 

CB750F

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This sucks, I hate people that steal.
I like the steal plate idea.
 

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So last night/this morning, i became a victim of stolen tail lights. It appears they used a screwdriver to punch thru the aluminum skin under the tailgate latch to open the tailgate. Already have insurance involved and the truck is at the dealer for a quote.

Who else has joined the party ?
20220921_071922.jpg
Would you be able to post a pic of the damage to your tailgate please?
 

OC4095

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Man that sux. Im going to take steps to secure mine as well.


edit: WOW!!! I just opened my tailgate up and man that is extremely easy to unlock like as was done. Locking tailgate HA what a joke.
 
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dtech

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Kinder, gentler responses, typically these type of threads involve smith & wesson solutions, is the forum somehow losing it's edge ?
Anyways dirtbags are seemingly everywhere these days, difficult to avoid , smash and grab, shoplifting, car theft, etc. estimated aggregate cost of crime in the us in 2021 was $4.9 trillion dollars , yes trillions.
will be interesting to see the cost of the taillight replacement - these thefts drive up costs for all of us through increased insurance costs and prices of many goods are higher to compensate for shoplifting. In Aurora CO they were considering an automatic 3 day jail term for shoplifters, but last I heard the sponsor hadn't identified what the cost would be of incarcerating the miscreants so I'm not sure it became law.
 

DonB

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Kinder, gentler responses, typically these type of threads involve smith & wesson solutions, is the forum somehow losing it's edge ?
Anyways dirtbags are seemingly everywhere these days, difficult to avoid , smash and grab, shoplifting, car theft, etc. estimated aggregate cost of crime in the us in 2021 was $4.9 trillion dollars , yes trillions.
will be interesting to see the cost of the taillight replacement - these thefts drive up costs for all of us through increased insurance costs and prices of many goods are higher to compensate for shoplifting. In Aurora CO they were considering an automatic 3 day jail term for shoplifters, but last I heard the sponsor hadn't identified what the cost would be of incarcerating the miscreants so I'm not sure it became law.
I would've let my dobie Ike rip them up, and then shot the worthless pricks.
Back on tract now?
 

Progeny2021

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Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. (a similar comment, worded differently, was removed earlier today)
 

Progeny2021

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So last night/this morning, i became a victim of stolen tail lights. It appears they used a screwdriver to punch thru the aluminum skin under the tailgate latch to open the tailgate. Already have insurance involved and the truck is at the dealer for a quote.

Who else has joined the party ?
20220921_071922.jpg
Have POE security cameras? Wi Fi/wireless security cameras? The latter are next to useless as everyone already seems to know how to jam/spoof wi fi/wireless systems. Ask me how I know.... :(
 

Big Blue

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So last night/this morning, i became a victim of stolen tail lights. It appears they used a screwdriver to punch thru the aluminum skin under the tailgate latch to open the tailgate. Already have insurance involved and the truck is at the dealer for a quote.

Who else has joined the party ?
20220921_071922.jpg
Nasty, looks light they cut the harnesses too. This will be expensive. Probably 5 to 6K by the time you fix the tailgate and new harnesses.
 

Trigganometry

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This is a pretty good idea. A bonus if you can incorporate a tailgate seal into it. I would change the fasteners to the stainless dome head torx with the center security pin. Not many are carrying around that nut size.
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