Off-Road Toyotas Popular Among Car Thieves

The popularity of off-roading is making one type of vehicle especially popular among car thieves in the region, according to officials with the Josephine County Sheriff Office.

If you have a 1980s Toyota truck or four-wheeler, authorities say you're a prime target.

Climbing, jumping and inching over rocks is more popular than ever according to one local auto accessory shop.

And mechanics say 1980's Toyota trucks and four-runners are built for off-roading, ready to handle the rugged terrain.

Now Dave Kelley, with the ToolBox Auto Shop in Grants Pass, says these old four-wheelers are the new hot toy for car thieves.

"They are easier to steal," he says."The parts are able to fit a lot of different vehicles and four-wheelers love them."

Deputy George Gasperson says stealing and stripping these nearly 30-year-old Toyota's is the most common auto theft in the county, and it's hard to catch the criminals.

"You're average cop on your average traffic stop isn't going to ask you to lift your hood and check your VIN number or they're not going to check to make sure that it's the correct transmission for the vehicle, there not leaving the vehicle in one piece, they're changing everything," he says.

Deputies say off-road vehicles are often pieced together, so recovering a stolen one is nearly impossible. Wwith more and more stolen every year, Gasperson says owners should be extra cautious protecting their popular four wheeler.

"You don't want to loose your property nobody wants to have a vehicle stolen form them - you need to pay attention," he says. "Park it in a garage, go see your local Toyota dealer to get some new parts for it a new ignition or new sliding window,  get an alarm. Something that's going to make it harder to steal,"

Auto experts say four-wheeling will will probably be around for the long run and police say criminals driving off with those 80's Toyota's probably will be too.

Deputies say more than 20 Toyota trucks were stolen or recovered in Josephine County in 2008 and they say these trucks are pretty easy to steal. They say the ignitions are usually worn out, there are generally no alarms, and people don't usually keep them in a garage or behind a fence away from thieves.