Easy Customization = Easy Theft of Parts

[JesseS]

I just watched a video on how easy it was to remove the end cap of the front bumper on a Bronco and it got me thinking back on my 42 years in law enforcement. Something that’s easy to remove makes it easy to steal and the more that are stolen creates a market for replacement parts. A vehicle is worth much more than MSRP in parts and to help resolve the stolen vehicle problem for parts, most vehicles have the VIN stamped on them. This helps law enforcement track stolen vehicles/parts.

I’d hate to walk around my new Bronco to take inventory of missing parts!

I agree with you. Also a retired LEO, in California, why my Bronco will be garaged every night. We are seeing a 40% rise in property theft out here now, mostly homeless or people out of work due to the covid restrictions.

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[Lowcountry Bronco]

I wouldn't call removing 14 bolts necessarily easy and that's just for the end caps, not the whole bumper. What would be easy are those nice 35s with 1k worth of rubber on them but even then the Bronco bolt pattern isn't universal plus you'd need a decent high clearance jack. I'm sure smash and grabs are going to be the most common thefts so no matter what the item is don't leave it in your Bronco.

 

[Hoofnmouth]

One reason i would never get pod lights easy removal ,chance of body damage in process,easy sell on craigs list,high dollar part.

 

[Bronco21fan]

I just watched a video on how easy it was to remove the end cap of the front bumper on a Bronco and it got me thinking back on my 42 years in law enforcement. Something that’s easy to remove makes it easy to steal and the more that are stolen creates a market for replacement parts. A vehicle is worth much more than MSRP in parts and to help resolve the stolen vehicle problem for parts, most vehicles have the VIN stamped on them. This helps law enforcement track stolen vehicles/parts.

I’d hate to walk around my new Bronco to take inventory of missing parts!

Just wanted to say thank you and any other law enforcement and military for your service and first responders as well

 

[Efthreeoh]

As the owner of 4 Pintos in my early driving career, I'm highly educated on the model. If you care to investigate it, it was found after all the hysteria generated by Ralph Nader and the Center for Auto Safety, the Ford Pinto was actually safer than its contemporaies of the era; i.e. Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, AMC Gremlin, and the Chevy Vega.

 

[Philly]

I had my Jeep in college and living in a college town things on it were getting messed with all the time, but never stolen. The most irritating thing was when people would open the clutch on my winch and wrap the cable around a nearby fence or flag pole. I had a good laugh the first time, but it got old after a while.

If you are really worried, you could always make sure your accessories have quick disconnects so they are only on when you need them or swap the bolts out with something less common. I'm not worried because a lot of people either don't realize how much some of these accessories cost, or aren't skilled enough to get all the pieces off to make the resale worth the effort.

 

[North7]

I agree with you. Also a retired LEO, in California, why my Bronco will be garaged every night. We are seeing a 40% rise in property theft out here now, mostly homeless or people out of work due to the covid restrictions.

What part of NorCal has the 40% rise? I grew up in Sacramento.

 

[mdonathan56]

OH YEA!! Those were the days!

Hard to find these anymore. I think they rounded them up up sent them out to pasture.
?

 

[JesseS]

What part of NorCal has the 40% rise? I grew up in Sacramento.

You win, Sac is getting bad, I am in Roseville and even here we are seeing a jump. Homicides are down but property crimes up.

 

[indio22]

I had my Jeep in college and living in a college town things on it were getting messed with all the time, but never stolen. The most irritating thing was when people would open the clutch on my winch and wrap the cable around a nearby fence or flag pole. I had a good laugh the first time, but it got old after a while.

If you are really worried, you could always make sure your accessories have quick disconnects so they are only on when you need them or swap the bolts out with something less common. I'm not worried because a lot of people either don't realize how much some of these accessories cost, or aren't skilled enough to get all the pieces off to make the resale worth the effort.

The first time I was in college, when stuck parking in the remote lot away from the dorms, there was a risk of having gasoline syphoned. Took me a few times to figure out what was happening. At first I thought it was just crummy mileage, lol.

I'm a fan of locking gas caps or doors, especially after someone poured a quart of oil down my CJ fuel filler. Sometimes people do malicious things just for kicks. So I try to make it just difficult enough for them not to bother.

Problem is some of those cheap locking caps corrode and stop unlocking in winter with ice and all.

 

[The Bronze]

So I could save a few minutes of my precious time by leaving my bumper end caps on for someone else to take off for me? That is design excellence!

 

[Shotsy]

Already covered this.
https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...uarter-panels-of-2021-bronco.5879/post-209194

 

[da_jokker]

You win, Sac is getting bad, I am in Roseville and even here we are seeing a jump. Homicides are down but property crimes up.

Without getting to political, it's because they are not only letting everyone out of jail, but crimes like this aren't even crimes anymore... they won't even bother unless the theft exceeds (is it over 900 now).

Hell, half the time cops won't even come out and you just fill out a crime report that is only good for your insurance claims.

Just saying... the only thing that was stopping criminals from being a criminal has basically been mooted.

 

[JesseS]

Without getting to political, it's because they are not only letting everyone out of jail, but crimes like this aren't even crimes anymore... they won't even bother unless the theft exceeds (is it over 900 now).

Hell, half the time cops won't even come out and you just fill out a crime report that is only good for your insurance claims.

Just saying... the only thing that was stopping criminals from being a criminal has basically been mooted.

I agree 100%, either report it online or at most a CSO comes out to take the report 3 days later.

 

[csj]

I currently live in a pretty nice part of San Jose, all single family homes. Someone just broke into both the swing cases in the bed. Nothing too valuable was stolen, but still annoying. I think they jammed a screwdriver into the locks and forced them around.

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