My tailgate got stolen, what should I do next?

I locked the tailgate and used a hose clamp, but it still got stolen. I live in a SoCal suburb and already filed a police report. Should I get an OEM part from my local Toyota or reach out to a body shop for help?

Do 3rd gen tailgates not automatically lock with the rest of the truck? My 2nd gen tailgate was stolen right from my driveway, and I was home in the backyard at the time. I ended up getting a junkyard tailgate with an aftermarket lock, but Google Maps still shows my truck with the missing one.

@Piper
Mine doesn’t lock automatically, I have to do it manually. I have a 2021 TRD model.

Sage said:
@Piper
Mine doesn’t lock automatically, I have to do it manually. I have a 2021 TRD model.

I had to install an aftermarket power lock on my 2023 TRD Pro. It’s pretty loud, but it works, and it cost about a hundred bucks.

Why are people stealing tailgates?

Where did it happen? Was it at home? My neighbor had his tailgate stolen from his driveway, and his was locked too.

Van said:
Where did it happen? Was it at home? My neighbor had his tailgate stolen from his driveway, and his was locked too.

It was locked and they still stole it? Did they pick the lock? It seems like there’s really no way to protect against this.

@Hendrix
There’s a hole in the bottom of the tailgate where a wire can be used to hook the unlock mechanism. You can check out this link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1663665532/toyota-tacoma-gen3-2016-23-tailgate-deck

To make it harder to open, you can fill the hex bolt holes with epoxy so they can’t unscrew them easily.

Van said:
Where did it happen? Was it at home? My neighbor had his tailgate stolen from his driveway, and his was locked too.

Yes, it happened at home, right from my driveway.

Damn, sorry about that.