Ford Super Duty Thefts are Skyrocketing in Denver

Since the beginning of the year, a Ford F-250 or F-350 has been stolen every 32 hours in the Denver area.

The Ford F-250 and F-350 are among the most expensive vehicles sold in America and in being among the biggest vehicles sold in America, it is hard-to-impossible to fit a Super Duty in an average home garage. This combination of high value combined with ease-of-access has made the ¾- and 1-ton trucks a hot commodity for thieves all over the United States, but these big, expensive pickups are being stolen at a shocking rate in Denver, Colorado.

According to a report from TheDenverChannel.com, reports of stolen Ford Super Duty pickups are on the ride and they aren’t just being stolen out of the owner’s driveway in the middle of the night. In some cases, these trucks are being swiped in crowded, well-lit public areas, leading Coloradans with F-250 or F-350 pickups to live with the constant fear of their truck disappearing.

Three Stories of Stolen Super Duties

The initial report focused on the story of Chad Boudreau, who owns a 2005 Ford F-250 (above in red). On Valentine’s Day, Boudreau took his fiancé out for a nice dinner and when they returned to their parking spot less than two hours later, the truck was gone. Someone had stolen his truck in a crowded shopping mall parking lot, one that was likely well-lit, provided that it was nighttime when the theft occurred. Boudreau was a good sport about the situation, calling the meal the most expensive of his life, but his positive attitude might stem from the fact that he got his truck back.

After about a month, authorities located his truck and he got it back, but repairing the damage cost him around $4,000.

“I was so excited once I got that call, at least I knew what had happened to it,” said Boudreau. “I’ve owned a Power Stroke now for probably five or six years now — two of them — and two years ago they tried to steal my old truck twice, so I’m very familiar with that and know it’s a huge issue.”

The initial report also included input from Kevin Vigil and Sloane Eberly, each of which have had a truck stolen in the Denver area this year. Vigil’s red F-250 (above) went missing in March while Eberly’s white F-350 (below) has been missing since earlier in April.

Rampant Theft

Unfortunately, the Super Duty trucks owned by Boudreau, Vigil and Eberly are just three of more than 90 big Ford trucks stolen this year. At the end of April, there will have been 120 days this year and with 90 F-250 or F-350 trucks stolen during that time, one of these trucks is being stolen on an average of every 32 hours.

Denver police recommend parking these trucks in secure, well-lit areas, but it seems like Boudreau’s F-250 was stolen from that very situation. Along similar lines, police are urging people to use steering wheel clubs or some other obvious theft deterrent device. While the club will not stop a determined car thief, it may send the crook looking for an easier target to steal, but since the movie Gone in 60 Seconds showed us that in the long run, it is nearly impossible to prevent someone from stealing a vehicle, a hidden tracking device like a LoJack unit can help quickly recover the vehicle.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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