Maybe it’s a result of the pandemic, or maybe it’s representative of another problem, but car thefts, including pickup trucks, are on the rise. Every year the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) puts out a list of the most stolen cars 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.”

Not only that, but pickup trucks are one of their main targets. In fact, four out of the top ten most stolen cars are pickup trucks. If you own one of these four trucks, you’ll want to take precautions to keep it safe. 

4. The Dodge Full-Size Pickup is the tenth most stolen car 

If you own a Dodge pickup, you should make sure you take all the necessary precautions to keep your pickup safe. These include locking your doors and also parking in a well-lit area at night. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, in 2020, 11,991 Ram pickup trucks were stolen. The model stolen the most is the 2001 Dodge pickup.

3. The GMC Full-Size Pickup is a popular truck to steal

If you drive a GMC Full-Size Pickup, you may want to invest in an alarm for your truck. The GMC Sierra is the seventh most stolen car, and the third most stolen pickup truck. In 2020, 13,016 GMC Sierras were stolen. This is an increase of 16.6% from 2019 to 2020. The most stolen GMC Sierra is the 2005.

2. The Chevy Silverado’s theft rates are up 25%

The Chevy Silverado is the second most stolen pickup and the second most stolen car in the United States in 2020. If you have a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado, the chance that your truck will be taken is even higher, since the 2004 Silverado is the most stolen model.

1. The Ford F-150 is the most stolen car 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 in 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.

To keep your pickup truck safe, there are things you can do. As mentioned above, lock your doors and park in well-lit areas. Don’t leave your keys in the ignition. There are also steering wheel and brake locks that can keep your vehicle safe, smart keys, and wireless ignition authentication.

Some people use a tracking device. This allows a stolen vehicle to be tracked, and increases the likelihood of a stolen vehicle being recovered.

If you follow these preventative steps, your pickup could still be stolen. This is especially true if it’s one of these four pickup trucks, as they’re the most commonly stolen trucks. If you follow these preventative measures, you can decrease the chances that your truck will be stolen.