A neighbor in my subdivision had his Raptor stolen a few days ago. I believe it was a 2019 or a 2020. There’s no security footage capturing the act. My understanding is that it should be relatively hard to do unless the fob is in the truck or the thieves have a range extender that can pick up the matching fob’s signal. The trucks alarm system wasn’t triggered AFAIK. So I’m thinking the most likely thing is that the fob was left in the truck and the thieves got lucky.
In any case this has me worried about my 2022 but I have mine parked in the driveway, his was on the street next to his house, and I have multiple security cameras that would all be able to record anyone trying anything in 4K. Is there anything I can do to make the truck harder to steal?
Yeah, relay attacks are pretty common these days. To stay safe, keep your keys away from the driveway. I store mine in a Faraday pouch when parked in the driveway, and that effectively solves the problem.
The reason the truck’s alarm didn’t trigger is that Ford (and other manufacturers) places the horn assembly right behind the grill on the radiator support. It’s almost comical how easy it is to access; you can simply reach in and cut the wire or unplug the harness. This way, the horn won’t sound, and only the lights will flash if someone breaks a window or tries to jimmy the door.
You can remove the grill and relocate the horn assembly inside the engine bay or install some aftermarket horns. There are several good spots to hide them, like under the airbox along the frame rail or against the firewall near the engine harness plastic housing. You can use existing holes or studs to run extra 18-20 gauge wire and resplice the connector. The existing bracket can be secured with a 10mm bolt.
This is a solid deterrent because if they can’t unplug the horn, they’re less likely to mess with the truck. Anything they do will trigger the alarm, and most thieves want to get in and out quickly without drawing attention.
I bet the owner didn’t leave their key in the truck, but the thieves used boosters instead. It’s become all too common and easy these days. They can get in and out quickly. From what I’ve seen, it doesn’t really matter how hard or easy a vehicle is to steal; if someone wants it, they can take it pretty easily.
On my 2018, I have an Igla killswitch installed. It adds a few extra steps before you can drive off, but it’s definitely worth it. I’m not sure if they have one for the 2022 models; I think they might go up to 2023, but I could be mistaken. Pairing a killswitch with a Faraday box or pouch should keep you safe. Relay attacks are common now, and thieves often try to disable the alarm.