In the UK, Ford vehicles have long been quite popular with shoppers, both in the used and new markets. As such, those same Blue Oval vehicles have proven to be hot targets for thieves as well. In fact, Ford was the most-stolen automotive brand of all in the West Midlands over the past year, as Ford Authority recently reported. On top of that, the Ford Fiesta has ranked atop the most-stolen vehicles list in that same part of the world on multiple occasions in recent years, and we’ve seen several theft rings focused specifically on that model as well. Now, a new theft ring in the UK is targeting a different Blue Oval model – the Ford Ranger.
According to Worcester News, West Mercia Police are warning residents that the Ford Ranger (and its chief rival, the Toyota Hilux) is now a hot target among thieves in the South Worcestershire area. It seems as if those thieves are chiefly using a common tactic to steal those vehicles, which involves cloning key fobs – which can be done from a distance, oftentimes without the owner having a clue as to what’s happening.
“We are seeing an increase in vehicle thefts, vehicles targeted include the recent/new Ford Ranger models and Toyota Hilux models, sometimes utilizing the keyless entry on the vehicles,” a spokesperson for the West Mercia Police said. “If you own or use one consider increasing the security of your vehicle, options include keeping the keys in a faraday pouch, using a steering wheel lock, or fitting a tracker to your vehicle.”
As far as the Fiesta’s popularity among thieves goes, police largely attribute it to the fact that the thrifty model was the UK’s top-selling passenger vehicle for some time when it was new – and it remains a hot commodity in the used market today. As such, there is a large demand for parts, particularly now that the Fiesta has been discontinued.
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