What have you done to protect your tailgates from being stolen?

Mine locks?

 

Tailgate always locked.
Generally in my garage.
Hose clamp with the screw pointing down so you have the get on your back under the bumper to get to the screw in case tailgate is unlocked.

 

I haven't looked into the 3rd gen, but on my 2nd gen, I just put a hose clamp on there, then drilled it out so nobody could get a screwdriver in there.

I've been keeping the tailgate locked on the 3rd gen, but I'm really not sure if that's enough.

 

I got this and it appears to work. I still have a tailgate.

 

Steal your own tailgate.
Cant steal whats already been stole

 

Sometimes it's all about the ease and opportunity. For years the #1 stolen vehicle in the US were mid-90's Honda Civics. Pre 2022 Kias became popular once TikTok became popular and showed how easy those were to take. It's not always about the flashy vehicles.

 

I bought this one off Amazon
McGard 76029 Premium Pick-up...

$30 McGard 76029 Premium Pick-up Truck Tailgate Lock , Black

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0043SCBD4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

You have not googled the issue obviously.

 

Same reasons someone tried to steal my dad's 10 year old Chevy Citation in a repair lot when there were several other flashy vehicles. Alarms were actually paid attention to back then and who would put one on that car? Plus as @RedWings44 said, ease of the boost.

Odds are once one gets out of the immediate area police are less likely to turn a head at that car over a hot rod unless they already got a message to look for it.

 

Wilco swinging tire gate. Can’t steal the tailgate if you can’t open it.

 

Just a suggestion- don’t rely on just the hose clamp to keep your expensive tailgate safe. It is very easy to just pry it and break it off in less than 10 seconds with a screwdriver. Use it, but also put washers on the cable eyes.

 

You make a very good point on the hose clamp being easy to pry off. I probably personally did not need to put it on, but had one on my shelf. My first line of defense is mostly having my truck in my garage and before I retired, my truck was parked outside my window at work.

I also use a Club steering wheel lock, locking gas cap and have a Cat shield. Those too can be defeated, but I try to make my truck unappealing to a bad person so they will hopefully move along to an easier target.

 

Installed the Toyota tailgate locking kit. Super easy and worth it. Now it locks whenever I lock the truck. No fuss.

https://youtu.be/gz-8j4S3Dkw?si=HCciy8XeEHQkpqhm

 

Never knew tailgate theft was a thing and I’m in Detroit

 

Keep it locked 100% of the time, keep in garage at night, back up against wall etc if in parking garage etc, and have one of the steel pieces of bent metal from someone here on TW that makes it more difficult to remove the tailgate.

I should add an air tag into it too.

 

Drill the torx splines out.

 

Got the OEM electronic tailgate lock a while back. Lock the truck, lock the topper door. If they want to get around all that (not that it's that difficult if you know what you're doing), then they are welcome to it. That's why I have a $250 deductible on my comp coverage.

 

Not living in CA is the only mod 100% guaranteed to stop tailgate theft.

It's not...in the real world.

 

Just a subset of protecting your vehicle from theft. A dedicated, well equipped professional, if they have their mind set on your vehicle, can and will get it. The idea is to layer on as many deterrents as possible - they can beat those, too, but the more impediments you add, you hopefully add enough delaying factors to make them look for an easier target.

 

Quick tack and a rattle can. If they really want ot they are gonna get it.