There’s a Surprising Reason Car Thieves Are Targeting Ram Pickup Trucks to Steal in 2023
While every vehicle is at risk of theft, some thieves intent on reselling cars and trucks target specific makes and models. In the first few months of 2023, Ram trucks have rocketed to the top of the list of vehicles stolen in certain North American cities. Why? Because there seems to be a demand for them overseas.
Do Ram trucks get stolen more often?
In late February 2023, certain municipalities—such as Toronto—report a sharp increase in Ram pickup truck thefts. This may be because of an increased demand overseas and Ram’s increased vulnerability to the latest technologies thieves use.
In truth, there are fads in car theft. Someone looking for a vehicle for their own use might target whatever is easiest to steal, such as certain Kias, which are some of the most stolen cars.
But thieves looking to resell a vehicle focus on what’s most popular on the black market. CTV News based in Toronto reveals that one of the most popular vehicles to steal, ship overseas, and resell is currently the Ram pickup truck. In the Toronto region alone, more than 130 Ram pickup trucks have already been reported stolen in 2023.
Why are stolen Ram trucks popular overseas? Where are they all getting shipped? CTV did not offer any more insights; your guess is as good as ours. Last year, the Lexus 350 series was one of the hot commodities on the stolen car market. The Toyota Highlander is a perennial favorite which is somehow seeing an increase in thefts.
Are Ram trucks easy to steal?
No modern pickup truck is easy to steal. But Ford, General Motors, and Toyota have all redesigned their pickup trucks more recently than Ram, incorporating the latest anti-theft features.
Staff Sergeant Dave Phillips of the South Simcoe Police Service told CTV News, “It appears that the thieves have become very sophisticated.” He cited the proliferation of computerized “modern comfort features,” leaving the current generations of some vehicles, such as the Ram truck, more vulnerable than previous generations.
Claudiu Popa is a cybersecurity expert who went further, calling modern cars “computers on wheels.” He said the rising number of car thefts is a series of cyber attacks and urged automakers to address them as such. “One of the key issues today is that manufacturers are not keeping up with security vulnerabilities.”
One advanced technique thieves are using is called a “relay attack” and includes using a high-tech repeater to broadcast the signal from a key fob left by the front door to a truck parked in a nearby driveway.
Car thefts are on the rise
Ram trucks are far from the only targets of increasing car thefts. CTV added that thefts are up 45% in 2023, with an average of 32 cars stolen in Toronto every day.
Stellantis–Ram’s parent company–said, “While such events are rare, they are not exclusive to any make or model of vehicle…We are engaged in continuous product improvement (and) urge all motorists to take due care in securing their vehicles.”
Next, learn who the TikTok-famous “Kia Boys” are and how they are stealing cars, or you watch the CTV report on the rise in Ram thefts in the video below:
