The Ford Ranger has become a target in Brazil for criminals seeking a specific part from the pickup truck, according to the website UOL.
According to the report, Brazilian Ford Ranger owners have been surprised to find a missing part upon returning to their parked vehicles.
The part in question is the trim piece located on the side of the fender — a discreet, easy-to-remove component that seems to fetch a high price on the black market.
Incidents have been recorded in several Brazilian states, including Goiás, São Paulo, and Bahia, the report states. On online marketplaces, the site found “original” units being sold for amounts ranging from $90 to $220.
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While the part has no practical function, its absence can affect the truck’s appearance. As a result, some owners have reported adopting preventive measures, such as applying windshield adhesive to secure the piece.
However, even that doesn’t seem to work. “I was robbed twice. The second time, it had windshield adhesive. It was worse because the guy scratched my car a lot trying to remove it — and still took it,” one victim told UOL.
He said he now prefers to buy the parts from the black market, as spending over $200 on original pairs isn’t worth it.
However, as the black market operates on supply and demand, the growing search for unverified parts ends up fueling the cycle of theft even further.
Photo and video: Ford. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
