Coming to a Ford Pickup Near You: New Anti-Theft Tech

Ford Motor Co. has stepped up the technology in its F-150 pickup truck to combat the ever-evolving techniques car thieves develop. It's the latest cat-and-mouse move that the automaker hopes will help customers avoid the costly, frustrating process that occurs when vehicles are swiped, including a feature that won't allow an engine to start even if a key fob is in the pickup, per the AP. National Insurance Crime Bureau data show that Ford's F-150 is in the top 10 of most stolen models.

"F-150s have been the bestselling vehicle for decades, so there are a lot of them on the road," says Ford's Christian Moran. "Thieves do like to go after pickup trucks." Ford's Stolen Vehicle Services, launched with the 2024 F-150 model year, added a "Start Inhibit" feature that allows owners to disable an F-150's engine from a smartphone by using an app, making it impossible for a thief to start the pickup. That was expanded in the 2025 model year to include the F-250 Super Duty pickup. Ford plans to extend it to other vehicles in the 2026 model year.

The security package comes with the purchase of a pickup and is included for one year once activated; the cost after the first year is $7.99 per month. F-150 owners can receive alerts to their smartphones of potential thefts that include an unauthorized person entering their pickup, whether doors are ajar, and if the vehicle is moved or towed. One of the strongest features of the security package is its coordination with police agencies, Moran said. Once an owner realizes or is notified that their pickup has been stolen, the owner is encouraged to call police and file a report.

The owner then contacts a Ford call center, which confirms with police that a theft report was completed. The call center coordinates efforts with police to use "Start Inhibit" to shut down the engine and to pinpoint where the pickup stopped. "Usually, within an hour is when we try to work as hard as we can to get those vehicles," says Ibrahim Kakish, a member of the Detroit Police Department's commercial auto theft section. "The sooner we get the vehicle, the better. The vehicle is more likely to be intact." More here.