Queenslanders Sean Gordon and Matt Ford had their utes stolen as crims target top-selling utes and SUVs

Queenslanders Sean Gordon and Matt Ford both had their utes taken from them. But they are not alone. See where crims are stealing top top-selling utes now.

Queensland mum Angela Gordon offered a $5000 reward when her 20-year-old son Sean’s “dream car” was stolen.

The Landcruiser ute was taken in broad daylight from the Morayfield Train Station in the Moreton Bay region.

“He had parked it there at 4am to go to work in the city. Came back at 3.30pm and it was gone. Right in front of the main entrance,” Ms Gordon said.

Ms Gordon said Sean had spent thousands on it including personalised number plates on the car – which he can’t use any more.

He was “one gutted, disheartened kid”, Ms Gordon said.

Angela Gordon's 20 year old son lost his "dream car" a Landcruiser ute when it was stolen from the Morayfield Train Station in the Moreton Bay region, Qld while he was at work. He had spent thousands on it. Picture: Supplied

Top-selling utes are one of the most popular vehicles targeted by profit-motivated thieves, making up 17 per cent of the more than 35,000 vehicles stolen across the country.

Australia wide last year there were 8129 utes and light commercial vans stolen worth a total of $116,709,355.

Popular model SUVs were the second-most targeted vehicle, after passenger vehicles which remain at the top of the list, according to the latest data collected by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC).

While the number of ute thefts has dropped slightly during the pandemic, down from 9942 from the previous year, those that were stolen have had a devastating effect on their owners who have posted about their loss on a range of social media pages.

Angela Gordon offered a reward for the recovery of her son’s ute on Facebook.

Angela Gordon’s son Sean’s stolen ute. Picture: Supplied

Matt Ford had a black Ranger ute stolen and his friend David had an SS Holden ute stolen from the same home in MacKenzie after a party.

Queensland man Matt Ford had his Black Ford Ranger stolen. It was found a bit "bashed up" in Loganlea. His friend David's white Commodore ute was also stolen and has not been recovered. Picture: Facebook

Mr Ford said the gate had been open because partygoers had been coming and going until the early hours and the thieves snuck into the house and found a set of keys hanging in the garage.

Queensland man Matt Ford had his Black Ford Ranger stolen. Picture: Facebook.

“There were three of them and they were wearing Covid masks. We saw on the CCTV they had no fear whatsoever.”

Mr Ford was lucky, his ute was recovered some weeks later – kilometres away in Loganlea but it was a little bit “bashed up”. There has been no sighting of the SS Holden ute.

The NMVTRC has revealed the highest number of short-term thefts (meaning vehicles that were recovered) were Brisbane, 2371 thefts, the Gold Coast, 1599, and Townsville, 815 thefts.

On the Sunshine Coast there has also been a recent spike in ute thefts this year with police warning owners not to leave them unlocked with keys inside.

Overall Queensland had the highest number of short term thefts of all vehicles at 10,310. and the Northern Territory had the lowest at 499.

The top theft makes and models for the year are the Ford Ranger PXMY 11+, the Toyota HiLux MY05-11 + and, Toyota HiLux MY12-15

The top target for van thefts is the Toyota Hiace MY05 19.

Originally published as Queenslanders Sean Gordon and Matt Ford had their utes stolen as crims target top-selling utes and SUVs