This kind of sophisticated theft ring has been going on since at least the late 70s. I used to play cards with a russian in state who was there for boosting cars for a ring that was shipping them out of Seattle to Eastern Europe, Asia and South America. Our trucks just happen to be popular in these developing economies right now, before that it was Corvettes, Mustangs, and other performance cars that were hard to come by there.
Most of our trucks simply end up in chop shops though. They want the airbags, seats, and other parts. The popularity of these cars are exactly what makes it desireable to a theif...its very easy to move the parts.
Kill switch is a good defense, but I have seen too many malfunctions that leave people stranded. Lojacks work for recovering one that has already been stolen. As ungainly as a brake pedal lock is, it is probably your best defense.
Most of our trucks simply end up in chop shops though. They want the airbags, seats, and other parts. The popularity of these cars are exactly what makes it desireable to a theif...its very easy to move the parts.
Kill switch is a good defense, but I have seen too many malfunctions that leave people stranded. Lojacks work for recovering one that has already been stolen. As ungainly as a brake pedal lock is, it is probably your best defense.