Fifteen Ford F-150 pickups and high-performance Raptor trucks vanished from Dearborn holding lots within the first eight days of August — 10 of them stolen on Thursday alone.
A month earlier, Ford Motor Co. reported 22 F-150 trucks had gone missing from Dearborn holding lots, mostly Raptor models, according to police data obtained by the Detroit Free Press through the state Freedom of Information Act.
A lot of money is at stake: A 2023 Raptor starts at $76,775, not including fees and delivery charges. A Raptor R starts at $107,350. And the 2023 Ford F-150 ranges from $33,695 to $84,910, according to Ford.com.
Ford is currently on track this year to exceed its truck theft rate from Dearborn holding lots in 2022, based on data reviewed by the Free Press.
Not only is Ford losing millions of dollars in product to theft but residents of Dearborn are directly affected because crime rates can affect car and home insurance rates. A Dearborn city spokesperson declined to comment.
Estimating the cost of vehicles at the most conservative pricing, Ford lost more than $8 million in F-Series vehicle thefts in 2022 alone from Dearborn holding lots.
So far this year, Ford is exceeding an estimated $6 million in F-Series theft from lots in Dearborn. The total was calculated using the lowest-priced trucks, which are not the most popular. Average transaction price for F-Series is higher than the base price tag.
July is a high theft month in Dearborn
In 2022, Ford reported thefts of 127 pickups with the most stolen in July (18), March/December (16 each), April (14) and June/November (13 each). On top of the 127 trucks, Ford also lost a total of 20 other vehicles: Explorer, Mach-E, Edge and Lincoln Aviator and Navigator SUVs from its holding lots in Dearborn. A Navigator starts at $70,725, not including delivery costs and fees.
In 2023, Ford reported theft of 85 pickups with the most stolen in July (23), early August (15) and January (13). On top of the F-150s, Ford reported the loss of four Mustangs (and three non-Ford vehicles parked on-site). A new Mustang starts at $27,770.
Police were unable to produce the specific data from 2019 through 2021, saying it was not compiled the way it is now. The police have specifically assigned an officer to this crime issue, according to the FOIA response.
Ford has said in the past, when $1 million in stolen trucks had been discovered with fake titles in Arizona, that it’s working with law enforcement. Ford also has declined to discuss the theft situation in detail, or how it’s addressing the issue, saying doing so could aid criminals.
Ford: ‘Taking steps’
In response to the data that suggests the trend is getting worse, not better, Ford spokesman T.R. Reid downplayed the severity of the situation.
“A sad fact of the popularity of our vehicles is that they’re sometimes targeted by thieves and frauds,” Reid said. “Manufacturers and retailers of all types are victims of theft. That includes other automakers in the communities where they operate plants — some of them to a much greater degree than Ford, according to what competitors and law enforcement officials tell us.”
Reid said, “Stolen vehicles represent an extremely small fraction of what we build, but it’s not acceptable to us or to our neighbors. So, we’re constantly taking steps to prevent thefts — using the best industry practices, investing heavily in fortifying places where we have vehicles, and working closely with local and national law-enforcement agencies. For obvious reasons, we’re not going to tell the crooks what those actions involve.”
Dearborn: No comment
Katie Doyal, a spokeswoman for the city of Dearborn, declined to discuss how city officials are addressing the thefts.
A source familiar with Dearborn police operations, who is not authorized to discuss the strategy publicly, told the Free Press that Dearborn is part of a multijurisdictional task force on auto theft prevention that includes Livonia, Detroit, Garden City, Dearborn Heights and the Wayne County prosecutor.
“Given that Ford is based in this part of the state, the vehicle thefts are on the radar of the Dearborn Police,” the source told the Free Press. “Auto theft rates have been increasing more recently, and Dearborn is no exception. This is something Dearborn police are working on with Ford.”
The Raptor, a high-speed, off-road pickup with a cult following that wants to go 100 mph in the desert and fly through the air over ruts and rocks, is a popular target for thieves. Colors range from traditional red and blue to tangerine and thistle.
Thieves stealing high-performance Raptors
Of the 85 F-150 pickups stolen through early August, 41 were Raptors.
Of the 127 pickups stolen last year, 78 were Raptors.
A glimpse of the theft data:
- Thieves stole 85 F-150s by Aug. 8, 2023 vs. 83 by Aug. 31, 2022.
- An estimated $5.6 million in new Raptors were stolen in 2022.
- An estimated $3.2 million in new Raptors were stolen by Aug. 8, 2023.
- A 2023 F-150 ranges from $33,695 to $107,350, not including taxes or fees, according to Ford.com. Prices climb with features including a tailgate step, 10-way adjustable driver’s seat and Bang & Olufsen sound systems.
More:Stolen Ford F-150s sold with clean titles in million-dollar ploy from Michigan to Arizona
High-profile thefts where drivers crash through gates or attract other types of attention often make headlines for their drama, and they’ve included Ford, General Motors, Dodge and Ram Trucks.
Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid.