Car theft is up, and car thieves have one thing in common: they love the Ford F-150. It’s not a surprise, as the Ford F-150 is one of the most popular vehicles in the country, yet it’s probably pretty disappointing for F-150 owners who walk outside to see their pickup truck gone. So what makes the Ford F-150 the most stolen car in the country, and is there anything F-150 owners can do to try to keep their pickup trucks safe?

It’s not the first time the Ford F-150 is the most stolen vehicle in the United States

The Ford F-150 was the number one stolen car in the United States in 2020. 44,014 F-150s were stolen during that time frame, roughly 4,000 more than the second place vehicle, the Chevy truck. This is the second year on a row that the Ford pickup truck was the most stolen vehicle, and the increase in the number of trucks stolen is huge. 13% more Ford pickup trucks were stolen in 2020 compared to 2021. The model most often stolen? The 2006 Ford F-150.

The Chevy pickup’s rates of being stolen are up too, by 25.7% over 2019, though that increase isn’t enough for it to be the most stolen car. This is good news to Chevy truck owners. Other trucks on the list include the GMC pickup as the Dodge pickup (the 2001 is the most-stolen).

Car thefts are up

Every year the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) puts out a list of the most stolen vehicles in the country. They just released the report for 2020, and it shows that car thefts are up. In fact, they’re way up, at 11%. David Glawe, the president and CEO of the NICB, blames the ongoing pandemic. He said, “Auto thefts saw a dramatic increase in 2020 versus 2019 in part due to the pandemic, an economic downturn, law enforcement realignment, depleted social and schooling programs, and, in still too many cases, owner complacency.”

It isn’t just pickup trucks being stolen. Other vehicles rounding out the top ten most stolen cars include the Honda Civic and Honda Accord, as well as the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. The Toyota Corolla and Honda CR-V also make the list.

There are things you can do to keep your F-150 – or any vehicle – protected

Even if your pickup truck or other vehicle is on this list, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. Glawe said,  “For many people, a car is the second largest investment they will ever make behind a home. No matter what kind of vehicle you have, take steps to protect your investment – lock your car and take your keys.”

These steps include making sure you don’t leave your keys in the ignition, parking in a well-lit area, and considering an alarm. There are also steering wheel and brake locks that can keep your vehicle safe, smart keys, and wireless ignition authentication.

Some people even choose to use a tracking device in the event their vehicle is stolen. This allows a stolen vehicle to be tracked, and makes the likelihood of a stolen vehicle being recovered to increase.

If you follow these preventative steps, the likelihood that your vehicle will be stolen goes way down. Still, it’s always a possibility that someone will try to take your car anyway. This is especially true if it’s the Ford F-150, or one of the other nine models on the list. Though that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy them – they’re popular for good reasons.