Hogsuckers busted the window, then used needle nose pliers or something similar to pry up the door lock, then dropped the tailgate and took the lights. Pinche Puro San Antonio. Bought the club before heading to town in light of all of the truck thefts, and used it and locked my tailgate in the spindle so it couldn't easily be ripped off, and thought the bed cover would have been good enough to keep them from opening the tailgate from inside the bed, but I guess you can only do so much.

https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/hardware-and-fasteners/hardware-and-fasteners-71564-2/rear-stop-and-flasher-lamp-assembly-15967643-1

I'm surprised the glass didn't shatter completely and crumble. Any reason why it wouldn't do that, or are windows made differently now somehow?

I hate thieves. We need to start chopping hands off because this is just out of control in Texas. Closing the border completely would obviously help as well but it's racist to have borders apparently.

fixer said:

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I missed the memo: why are taillights the hot new thing to steal?

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Because these particular ones are LED with blindspot sensors = $$$

This is seriously ****ing infuriating. No exaggeration anybody that does stuff like this deserves death. It is out of control.

I've had two motorcycles stolen that were brand new, and similar issues when I had a brand new F-150.

Started to daily drive a 34 year old vehicle, and thieves just don't seem interested in my vehicle anymore.

Scruffy said:

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Why steal the lights?

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I think they're something like $1200/ea.

Claim it on insurance and let it do its thing. Insurance is up, may as well get your moneys worth. If not, buy them on Facebook. That's where they went anyway probably. I got tired of fooling with insurance and thieves. I got my 2500 dollar gate on Facebook for 350 bucks. Paint to match, move on down the road.

I take my 23 year old F150 when I go to San Antonio. Park next to a Chebby or a new Ford, under lights with cameras. No trouble so far, knock on wood, but my truck is worth less than two of your tail lights. Lol.

1. Arrange to buy on Facebook.
2. Meet sellers thieves.
3. Deal with the situation so they don't do it again.

Ag for Life said:

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I hate thieves. We need to start chopping hands off because this is just out of control in Texas. Closing the border completely would obviously help as well but it's racist to have borders apparently.

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Sharia Law does have its benefits (of course I get ratio'd over on Forum 16 for saying that)

Sucks and I'm sorry to hear that but... thank you for sharing.

Your story helps reinforce my personal policy of avoiding San Antonio as much as possible.

on saturday i was running and saw a F150 parked in the neighborhood missing its tail lights. i was mad for him. ****ing thieves.

First thing I do after getting it fixed is changing the screws to a non-standard size and covering the head with epoxy or something else that has to be removed to get to the screw.

**** thieves.

If we could punish Singapore style, it would slow way down. 100 lashes with a split cane (they swing it like a baseball bat) and you stay in prison between getting lashed until you bleed until they finish all 100.

When they know round 2 will be 200 or so, it doesn't happen any more.

Same thing happened to me. I sourced the replacement parts myself and installed myself. I did have to take mine to the Ford dealership after everything was installed to have the sensors programmed. In total, I was out around $4,800. I made a claim on insurance and ended up getting reimbursed for all but a $500 deductible.

They just popped by bed cover lid and then popped the latch on the tailgate. Four screws with a battery driver and gone. In and out within 60 seconds.

Glad I don't have BLIS on my pickup but it is BS for all that do and are affected by thieves. I refuse to drive my F250 into San Antonio unless my wife or I stay in the vehicle while the other goes into a business.

I'm all for a system of punishment as detailed by Mouth. Instead, we all have to pay $$ for cat shields, Ravelco, or security or replacement parts while the thieves usually get away without justice.

It should be legal to execute thieves whenever they are caught. They are no better than pedophiles.

JB said:

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So if you are stealing rims, I get it, you are going to put them on your base model truck or your older truck. But are these taillights useable for lower model F150s? Or they stealing them solely to sell them back to someone?

Like is this an easy upgrade for Xl/XLTs? Surely they would need some programing to work?

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Steal enough of them and you create your own market since going through insurance is $3000-4000 to replace them.

JB said:

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So if you are stealing rims, I get it, you are going to put them on your base model truck or your older truck. But are these taillights useable for lower model F150s? Or they stealing them solely to sell them back to someone?

Like is this an easy upgrade for Xl/XLTs? Surely they would need some programing to work?

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These aren't being used by the theives. They are being sold on ebay/fb marketplace to other people who have had their tail lights stolen.

It's as close to perpetual motion as we've ever seen.

Slicer97 said:

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They are no better than pedophiles.

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I can live with my truck being stolen. I can't imagine what I'd do if someone did something to my kids.

So these get stolen, owner files insurance claim, thief sells on Facebook or eBay, owner pays deductible and gets insurance check, owner pays dealership or buys off ebay and self installs (pockets the difference), thief makes quick cash, and we all pay in higher insurance rates? Then it happens again?
Is that right???

idAg09 said:

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So these get stolen, owner files insurance claim, thief sells on Facebook or eBay, owner pays deductible and gets insurance check, owner pays dealership or buys off ebay and self installs (pockets the difference), thief makes quick cash, and we all pay in higher insurance rates? Then it happens again?
Is that right???

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It's like protection money that organized crime collects. You own a store, and some people come buy to sell you a service. They will protect your store, or "something bad might happen". In this case "something bad happened", but I just happened to have the part you need to repair your truck.

These people are scum

The Fife said:

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I'm surprised the glass didn't shatter completely and crumble. Any reason why it wouldn't do that, or are windows made differently now somehow?

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Yep, >30% of new cars the side windows are made of laminated glass similar to windshields. Your glass breaker tool isn't going to easily go through them anymore.

MoreCushing4thePushing said:

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I've had two motorcycles stolen that were brand new, and similar issues when I had a brand new F-150.

Started to daily drive a 34 year old vehicle, and thieves just don't seem interested in my vehicle anymore.

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My daily is 37 years old. It's sitting out there in the parking lot with the keys in it.

The turds in Houston have learned this method apparently. Walked out of a construction site in the Heights today to see my alarm going off. Nice chip right at the drivers side window at the lock. I guess they got spooked and took off before finishing the job. Blows my mind how brazen these asshats are, there were at least half a dozen tradesmen working on a house across the street, broad daylight between shepherd and Durham.