Exterior parts and accessories Stolen from a leased truck

[Eric]

My colleagues’ 2022 F150 was parked in a paid lot while we were on a trip.
When we came back a few days later we noticed right away that there was a problem when we could see that the tonneau cover was no longer there.
We threw our bags onto the backseat and had a cigarette as we examined the rest of the truck.

They didn’t take anything from the bed as there was nothing of much value. But, pretty much anything easily removable from the exterior was taken including the tail lights, side steps, wheel well liners and aftermarket antenna.

He got it towed to his house and he’s just using his other car while he waits for a new set of tail lights to come in.

He obviously can’t use the truck without taillights but we’re wondering if he’ll have to replace all the other items when he returns the lease since all those other parts were options that are added costs to his payments. What do you guys think?

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[discothan]

I would suspect that his lease document accounted for the truck build and included accessories. Most likely this is how it should be returned at the end of a lease.

I know you aren't asking anything about insurance coverage or calling the dealer to discuss the theft of parts. his would be my first step.

 

[diambo4life]

Insurance and that is an odd list of items to be stolen....almost like the thief has a Ford F150 truck! What kind of F150 was it?

 

[powerboatr]

took off the cab steps...dammmm they had more than a minute to get them off
file your insurance and let them do the investigation with lot and cameras and hopefully catch the bad guys

 

[Eric]

took off the cab steps...dammmm they had more than a minute to get them off
file your insurance and let them do the investigation with lot and cameras and hopefully catch the bad guys

It was one of those lots where you park your car and a shuttle bus will take you to the airport. The company that owns the lot told him there aren’t any cameras in that particular lot but they’ll look into it and get back to him lol.
I think he’s trying to avoid insurance because he’s under the impression that it would be cheaper for him to just try to find replacement parts secondhand online rather than having to pay the deductible and having his rates go up. Would be epic if he ends up buying them from the guy who stole them.
But whoever did steal them is a dumbass and isn’t going to make much as all the parts were OEM and don't really have any kind of demand.

 

[powerboatr]

It was one of those lots where you park your car and a shuttle bus will take you to the airport. The company that owns the lot told him there aren’t any cameras in that particular lot but they’ll look into it and get back to him lol.
I think he’s trying to avoid insurance because he’s under the impression that it would be cheaper for him to just try to find replacement parts secondhand online rather than having to pay the deductible and having his rates go up. Would be epic if he ends up buying them from the guy who stole them.
But whoever did steal them is a dumbass and isn’t going to make much as all the parts were OEM and don't really have any kind of demand.

if insurance is as crazy as it is here. i understand
but for me 500 deductible is easy to cover and then argue if at renewal they raise rates. if its parked in a locked lot and owner took reasonable care to protect the truck. insurance should not have cause imo to raise rates
i crunched a rear led light on my f250 it was over 800 dollars to get a new one, so i just ate the cost and put a new one in. but steps, lights badges and rear cover..i would be calling my insurance folks

 

[780]

The company that owns the lot told him there aren’t any cameras in that particular lot but they’ll look into it and get back to him lol.

Hmmm... Make you wonder if the thief knew this as well...

 

[Pedaldude]

Those budget off airport long term parking lots are notorious for shenanigans. When I was on the East Coast, my father used to get a car from the local Rent-A-Wreck just to park at the remote airport lot.

On slow news days, the local TV stations here have been warning about the new trend of taillight theft. They say if you have a truck to park it backed up against a wall so that the tailgate can’t be opened.

This might not have helped in this particular case, the thieves had enough time and access to pull/push the truck away and who knows, if you guys were gone another few days; the wheels and spare tire might have walked away too.

...Would be epic if he ends up buying them from the guy who stole them.
But whoever did steal them is a dumbass and isn’t going to make much as all the parts were OEM and don't really have any kind of demand.

Just like catalytic converter theft (and back in the day, airbag theft) as well as tailgate theft; thieves themselves are creating the demand.

It’s a low risk crime with better rewards than jacking people for their wallets or holding up the quickie mart for a few bucks from the register. While people are using cash less and less, their vehicles are easy targets for lowlife scumbags who need a fast buck to score rock or dope.

Taillights are an easy target for a couple losers on BMX bikes with nothing more than a screwdriver and backpack.

Because the police see this as a nonviolent crime they tend to not care, however; some forces have vehicle crime related divisions and getting in touch with them directly can have better results because the beat cops and dispatchers are often under pressure from their superiors to sandbag crime statistics now that they’re used for computer based statistics.

Hmmm... Make you wonder if the thief knew this as well...

Exactly, if it’s not an inside job the operators are looking the other way.

OP’s buddy needs to take a picture of his truck and put it on the lot’s Google and Yelp review.

 

[Je1279]

I also saw the newscast that @Pedaldude mentioned above. I didn't realize there was a black market for tail lights but due to the BLIS technology they can cost over $1k each new. My guess is that the Raptor, Tremor and Lariat are the most stolen due to being the more desirable design.

 

[Eric]

Those budget off airport long term parking lots are notorious for shenanigans. When I was on the East Coast, my father used to get a car from the local Rent-A-Wreck just to park at the remote airport lot.

On slow news days, the local TV stations here have been warning about the new trend of taillight theft. They say if you have a truck to park it backed up against a wall so that the tailgate can’t be opened.

This might not have helped in this particular case, the thieves had enough time and access to pull/push the truck away and who knows, if you guys were gone another few days; the wheels and spare tire might have walked away too.



Just like catalytic converter theft (and back in the day, airbag theft) as well as tailgate theft; thieves themselves are creating the demand.

It’s a low risk crime with better rewards than jacking people for their wallets or holding up the quickie mart for a few bucks from the register. While people are using cash less and less, their vehicles are easy targets for lowlife scumbags who need a fast buck to score rock or dope.

Taillights are an easy target for a couple losers on BMX bikes with nothing more than a screwdriver and backpack.

Because the police see this as a nonviolent crime they tend to not care, however; some forces have vehicle crime related divisions and getting in touch with them directly can have better results because the beat cops and dispatchers are often under pressure from their superiors to sandbag crime statistics now that they’re used for computer based statistics.




Exactly, if it’s not an inside job the operators are looking the other way.

OP’s buddy needs to take a picture of his truck and put it on the lot’s Google and Yelp review.

You are spot on about everything.

The area where this took place has been a very hotspot for car thefts this year so we’re more concerned about people taking the whole vehicle and not just parts of it.

But after you mentioned the Google reviews I went to take a look and the first negative review was about someone that had their entire wheel set stolen.

The thieves actually took their set and replaced them with a much older and worn set So at least they didn’t leave them sitting on blocks. But if these guys had enough time to swap out an entire wheel set, they definitely got something going on with the guys working there. Or I guess they can just keep a lookout for when the shuttles are coming in. I’m not sure if there’s anybody actually working there aside from the shuttle buses that come to pick people up every 10 or 20 minutes

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