In the early hours of a Thursday morning in Guelph, Ontario, a man was startled by a noise outside his home while he was engrossed in a TV show. Upon investigating the noise, he discovered that his Toyota Tundra was being stolen.
However, he was not the only victim in his community. Local police reports indicate that since November 1, ten Toyota Tundra vehicles have been stolen in Guelph, with unsuccessful attempts made on eight others. This trend isn’t confined to Guelph. Other areas in southern Ontario, including the Waterloo Region and Barrie, have reported similar thefts of Tundras, with 12 and 10 incidents respectively since the beginning of the year.
Amanda Dean, vice-president of Ontario and Atlantic for the Insurance Bureau of Canada, commented on this trend. She noted that criminals often target specific vehicles that are popular in the market. However, she added that Toyota Tundras are not the exclusive target for thieves. New Tecumseth has reported a couple of Tundras missing over the past month, along with four other trucks, including two Dodge Rams and a Ford F-150 Raptor, between January 23 and 28.
The local Ontario Provincial Police representative, Constable McKayla Cotey, clarified that new luxury vehicles are also being targeted due to their potential for high-profit resale. She also mentioned that more common vehicles are being stolen, possibly for resale or to be used in other crimes. Dean believes a significant number of these stolen vehicles are likely being shipped overseas.
The Équité Association, a national organization focusing on insurance fraud and crime, releases an annual list of the most-stolen cars in Canada. In 2023, the 2021 Toyota Highlander topped the list with 3,414 reported thefts, followed closely by the Dodge Ram with 3,078 reported thefts. The Lexus RX series, Honda CR-V, and Toyota Rav-4 also made the top five, highlighting the prominence of Toyotas among stolen vehicles.
The Guelph police spokesperson, Scott Tracey, confirmed to Global News that Toyotas and related Lexus vehicles have been the most commonly stolen brands in Guelph for the past two years, particularly in thefts associated with organized crime.
Toyota Canada issued a statement, acknowledging the theft problem across the entire auto industry in Canada. The company said it’s evolving technology rapidly to combat new theft methods and tools, including redesigning vehicles to secure access to critical systems and components, deploying new connected services like their stolen vehicle locator system, and adding new onboard technologies to counter electronic attacks on vehicles.
According to the police, thieves employ a range of tactics to steal cars and trucks in Canada, including using relay and reprogramming technology, hacking into the onboard diagnostics, and identity fraud.
Amanda Dean further emphasized the need for tighter rules and regulations regarding anti-theft technology in vehicles. She also mentioned that the Insurance Bureau of Canada is advocating for the federal government to enhance border security to prevent stolen vehicles from leaving the country, particularly through the Port of Montreal, which handles a large portion of Canada’s legal vehicle exports.
In the meantime, vehicle owners are being advised to take countermeasures to protect their investments, such as parking in well-lit areas or indoors, ensuring doors and windows are locked, and using anti-theft devices like kill switches or brake locks. The police also recommend installing a tracking device in your vehicle, which recently aided the Waterloo police in recovering 20 stolen vehicles.
