Lincoln Dealer Now Offering Reward After Wheel Thefts: Video

Blue Oval models such as the Ford F-150 have long topped the list of the most stolen vehicles in the U.S., largely due to their popularity – and that was once again the case in 2023, as Ford Authority recently reported. However, thieves are targeting not only people’s driveways and public parking lots, but also, automaker-owned storage lots, and even dealerships, as we’ve seen time and time again – stealing not only entire vehicles, but also, individual parts that are worth significant money on their own. That was the case at a Lincoln dealership in Englewood, Colorado recently after thieves made off with a number of wheels, and now, that same dealer is offering a reward for information leading to their arrest, according to Fox 31 News.

Over the course of the past six weeks, the Lincoln dealership – Landmark Lincoln – has seen thieves make off with tens of thousands of dollars in wheels, as well as tires and even brake components, on two different occasions. Both thefts were caught on camera, showing the perpetrators entering the lot, using a jack to lift the vehicles, and then removing the aforementioned parts from multiple models before making their getaway.

Problem is, this is costing the dealer plenty of money in terms of replacing those parts, as well as the time and labor involved with that process. As a result, Landmark Lincoln is installing wheel locks on all of their vehicles – along with new high-definition security cameras at the dealership – but it’s also now offering a $20,000 reward for anyone who can help identify and convict those that committed these crimes.

“They come in and canvass the lot, and they see when is a good time to come in, which has been like 11 to 12 o’clock at night. And they’ll send in the guy kind of sneaking around the lot,” said Landmark Lincoln general manager Ed Safko. “They’ll park right on South Broadway and they’ll load up right there, so I mean they are not shy at all. The damage on just one car, it was close to 10 grand, the wheels and tires and brake parts. You order the parts and try and rush them in and it’s a big expense. Car parts are not inexpensive, so it hurts us when we come in and see something like this.”

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