A buddy of mine recently had his 2006 Ford F250 stolen. The truck was recovered and the thieves had just went for a cross country joy-ride. They smashed out the ignition tumbler on the steering column to get the truck started.

I thought the the computerized/transducer type ignition systems on these trucks were suppose to prevent this type of theft. I understand that certain fleet vehicles might not come with this feature but my buddy insists that his truck had the transducer type ignition security system.

I read that Ford had the most sophisticated ignition security system on the North American market and that it is the toughest to 'crack'. The police told my friend that the Fords are the easiest for them to steal.

How are these amateur thieves defeating a supposedly highly sophisticated computerized ignition security system???

 

key code has to match the computer code or the truck will not start... ask the COP what he means.

 

Ford didn't equip any F-250 to F-550 Super Duty trucks with PATS keys until model years 2008 and up. My insurance premium taking a huge nosedive from my previous 2007 to my current 2016 reflects this very well too.

 

That's correct . And I think that some of the base models such as the XL F-150 versions didn't have pats as well . Those are the ones that are stolen. The F-150 is one of the most stolen vehicle in the US as per the NCIC. Has to be the ones with out the PATS system

 

And then I see this video but they're not giving us any details.

F-250 proves easy to steal among thieves - Fox 4 Now WFTX Fort Myers/Cape Coral

There's also this video telling us that the P.A.T.S. can be bypassed...

 

Maybe the cops are talking about a non-P.A.T.S. fleet vehicle like in this video...

 

There might be something on the V.I.N. that tells you whether or not your truck has a P.A.T.S.

Does anybody know how to identify a P.A.T.S. equipped vehicle???

(AFAIK I think the keys all look the same)

 

I am not buying that video story How to steal a truck . Just popping the ears off the lock cylinder and turning it with a screw driver is "BS . There's more to it than that.

 

I really don't know what to think. I read that the Securilock (P.A.T.S.) is extremely difficult to bypass yet my buddy's insurance adjuster is saying the exact opposite.

How do you know who's telling the truth or who knows what they're talking about? I could ask Ford directly but I'm certain they won't admit that there's a problem with their P.A.T.S. if there is one...

 

According to Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SecuriLock

I'll have to ask my buddy if his truck is a Super Duty or a Light Duty...

 

Definitely not that simple, or else more and more of these trucks were stolen.

 

From the STOLEN link..........

21,000 is what Jason would get back for his F-250 sitting on 35-inch wheels. He thinks someone took a spare key from the truck. Something LCSO has seen plenty of times. "Lock your doors make sure your keys are taken under your cars. We've seen cases where they've taken spare keys for other vehicles in the car, be cognizant of that."

 

Most likely some kind of "hack", an electronic gizmo that fools the PATS.

 

I have read that the Ford system is the most difficult to 'hack'.

I've never taken apart the steering column on a newer model truck so I'm only guessing here. But isn't the transponder module mounted just below the steering wheel?

If that is the case, what if the thief had with them another serviceable transponder module with a matching key? Would it be possible to slave another transponder module into the steering column electrical harness?

That would defeat the P.A.T.S. Then the thief would only need a large screwdriver to twist the ignition tumbler on the column to crank the engine. Wouldn't that work???

 

That was last week though, right? This stuff changes all the time, thieves are always coming up with new techniques, new technologies.