Why People Steal Ford Super Duty Tail Lights (And How To Keep Yours Safe)

Whether it's hauling bulky loads, towing heavy equipment, or being some of the most powerful trucks out there, Ford's Heavy-Duty F-Series trucks are designed to handle a lot. However, what they aren't designed to do is stop thieves from stealing their taillights. So, why do people steal Ford Super Duty taillights? Ford replacement taillights are expensive. OEM parts can cost hundreds per piece, while top-end LED units with extra tech can even cost more than $5,000 directly from Ford.

Even worse than that, they are fairly easy to remove since they are designed to be modular. Because they are only held in place with a few screws, thieves can strip them off in a matter of minutes. Moreover, they usually can't be traced, which means that they can be flipped for a quick profit without attracting nearly as much heat as stealing wheels or catalytic converters. That's why it's important to take all necessary precautions to keep yours safe. 

Sgt. Washington Moscoso of the San Antonio Police Department told the San Antonio Express-News that, "Once the tailgate is open, thieves now have access to stealing either the taillights and/or the tailgate itself." To stop this from happening and keep your taillights on your truck, Moscoso recommends anti-theft kits or tamper-resistant screws. He went on to add, "The harder we make it, they're going to move on to the next one." This is because stealing taillights quickly involves opening the tailgate to access the mounting screws, which makes it easy to slide the entire taillight assembly out in minutes. 

One of the more elaborate means of protection is to invest in an anti-theft kit produced by companies such as Omaha Bravo Designs. These kits cover all of the aforementioned vulnerable areas that thieves typically use to exploit the housing and mounting points to detach the taillights. Besides investing money in anti-theft kits, owners should also back their vehicles into driveways against an obstacle, always check if the tailgate is locked, and even invest in a camera system that could deter thieves from even trying. Such elaborate theft schemes are not unique — the story of thieves stealing Toyota Camry wheels is similar, as wheels are also expensive, easy to remove with basic tools, and difficult to trace once they're resold.

While Ford has introduced a new Ford Security Package that is aimed at combating broader car theft issues, even including a remote kill switch to stop people from stealing your truck, it has not yet come up with a specific solution for taillight thefts. On August 6, 2025, Ford was granted a patent for a parts-theft detection system that uses ultra-wideband (UWB) sensors to spot unfamiliar devices approaching the vehicle and alert the driver. 

The patent does not mention taillights specifically, but it does say "preventing the theft of components of vehicles," so it's unclear whether the technology will apply to them. Sadly, this is not the only time Ford had to deal with taillights being stolen. Beyond street-level thefts of Super Duty taillights, even Ford's own employees were recently involved in an organized scheme to steal taillights and other vehicle parts off the assembly line. In this instance, the company's global investigation team was working closely with the authorities in order to stop thieves from funneling these parts through the black market.