The theft of pickup truck tailgates is on the rise in the United States and it only takes a thief about 30 seconds to take one.  The replacement cost for most tailgates is $1,000 or more.  The first tailgate thefts were reported in 2006 and by 2012, 1,343 claims were made on stolen tailgates across the country. The 2008 Ford F-250 has the honor of being the most stolen tailgate with the 2010 Ford F-150  in second and the 2007 Chevy Silverado third. Authorities expect thefts to go up by 18% this year with the highest claims to be in Texas, California and Arizona. Some things you can do to help prevent tailgate theft are lock it, if it comes with a lock or by a lock for it. Another thing to do is 'back' the truck in when you park and park as close as you can to anything you can so the tailgate isn’t easily accessible.

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