Texas thieves have taken $92,000 worth of taillights from 34 Ford trucks since September, according to Carscoops.

      Even locked F-Series trucks are vulnerable, and replacing both sets of rear LED lights could exceed $5,000 due to the integrated sensors.

      Twenty hours ago

      By Chris Chilton

      Ford F-Series trucks are becoming targets in a significant crime wave in Texas.

      Thieves have made off with truck taillights worth over $92,000 from 34 victims.

      The elaborate LED light units are pricey and can be taken in mere seconds.

      Criminals in Texas are creating headaches for Ford truck owners, but it’s not the vehicles themselves that are disappearing. Instead, they're stealing something less noticeable yet equally costly: taillights. To be precise, over $92,000 worth of them.

      If you imagine every F-Series truck in the state is left without lights, you might be surprised to learn that only 34 pickups have been targeted. However, since replacing a set of lights can set owners back thousands of dollars (the price varies depending on the model and dealer, with reported costs ranging from $2,500 to over $6,000 for a pair of taillights), the total quickly accumulates.

      Why Are Ford Taillights So Costly?

      The high cost of the taillights is related to the LED units found in late 2010s and early 2020s Ford trucks. These are not the simple lights from the 90s; in addition to housing advanced technology instead of traditional bulbs, they also include sensors for the blind-spot monitoring system, significantly contributing to their price.

      The extent of the theft spree in Texas, as reported by Fox26, has gained media attention, but these lights have been stolen for years, driven by their value and ease of removal. There are numerous accounts on Reddit of 13th and 14th-generation F-150 and F-250 truck owners discovering their vehicles missing lights.

      Even if the truck is locked, thieves can easily lower the tailgate using a small hole in the panel, allowing them to unscrew and remove the light clusters without much effort.

      This issue has become so prevalent in the F-Series community that several companies now offer products designed to prevent thieves from accessing the lights. One such company is Latchlid, established by Margot and Tim McGuire, who decided to take action after their 2017 F-250 Platinum's lights were stolen twice in one year.

      Their solution is a straightforward metal plate that attaches to the truck's body and partially covers the latch mechanism on the tailgate when closed. This prevents thieves from dropping the tailgate and accessing the screws that secure the taillights.

      While having your truck's taillights stolen is both frustrating and costly, at least thieves don’t need to cause physical damage to the vehicle, unlike the Porsche Taycans, which have had their front fenders cut with a saw to access their expensive headlights.