Top 10 Stolen Vehicles

[elboberino]

America's Most Stolen Vehicles

Two separate studies reveal the vehicles most stolen in the U.S.

 

Thieves still love cars—especially the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic and Honda Accord.

 

In two separate studies, at least seven of the ten most commonly stolen vehicles in the United States are cars, with the Camry, Civic and Accord prominent in the lists.

 

CCC Information Services Inc., a Chicago-based supplier of software and communications systems to auto insurers, said the 1991, 1989 and 1990 Camry models, respectively, topped its annual study of theft claims from insurers. A 2000 Honda Civic model was fourth, followed by the 1994 Chevrolet C1500 4X2 pickup truck and 1995 and 1994 models of Accord.

 

Overall, however, CCC said car thefts—which it measures only as vehicles which are stolen and not recovered in usable form—were down 2.7 percent in 2001 from 2000.

 

It said thieves continue to target an increasing number of sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks, although the only truck or SUV in the CCC's top 10 for 2001 was the Chevy pickup. Overall thefts of trucks and SUVs rose 7 percent in 2001 from the year earlier, the organization said.

 

But the 1997 Ford F-150 4X2, which had ranked ninth in the CCC's list of thefts for 2000, was no longer in the top 10 and had fallen to 12th in 2001.

 

CCC does not include vehicles stolen for joyrides or otherwise returned to their owners for continued use.

 

Meantime, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), which tallies all vehicles reported stolen by law enforcement agencies each year, said the Camry was first in theft during its most recent study, which was for calendar 2001, while the Accord was second. Both are among America's most popular selling autos. In third spot in the NICB ranking is the Honda Civic. The Arlington, Va.-based NICB does not list vehicles by separate model years. According to the NICB, motor vehicle thefts in 2001 were up 5.7 percent over 2000.

 

How the Two Studies Differ

The NICB figures come from FBI Uniform Crime Reports and include all reports of vehicle theft, including cars that have a few parts removed, are taken for joyrides and later recovered, as well as vehicles that disappear and are never returned to their owners.

 

In contrast, the CCC's 2001 survey involves some 78,000 vehicles reported as total losses in insurers' theft claim files, a spokeswoman said. Officials have explained these are vehicles that have been stripped so badly they're deemed a total loss, have been set on fire and can't be returned to their owners, have never been recovered after a theft, etc.

 

The CCC's 2001 tally of some 78,000 compares is down from 80,299 in 2000 and 87,752 in 1999.

 

The NICB still urges car owners to take preventive measures. "Motorists driving theft-prone vehicles should consider taking additional prevention steps, such as installing a visible deterrent such as a steering wheel lock, an alarm, a starter or fuel disabler, and a tracking device," said Robert M. Bryant, president and chief executive officer for the NICB. "The more layers of protection on your vehicle, the more difficult it is to steal."

 

Thieves Follow Market Trends

The most commonly stolen truck, according to both organizations, is the Chevrolet full-size pickup. The Silverado is No. 6 on the NICB list for calendar 2001 and moved to fourth in the 2001 CCC list.

 

Jeep's Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models are the most stolen SUVs, ranked together in the fifth spot in the NICB list. The 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4X4 was the top SUV in the CCC list, coming in at the 20th spot in 2001, the same spot it occupied in 2000.

 

According to Bryant, "Vehicle thieves follow market trends and target the most popular vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts and illegal export to other countries."

 

Here is the NICB top ten list (in order of reported thefts):

 

 

1. Toyota Camry

2. Honda Accord

3. Honda Civic

4. Oldsmobile Cutlass

5. Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee

6. Chevrolet Full-Size Pickup

7. Toyota Corolla

8. Ford Taurus

9. Chevrolet Caprice

10. Ford F-150 Pickup

 

This study is based on some 1.2 million motor vehicles reported stolen to the NICB in 2001 by law enforcement agencies nationwide.

 

The CCC's most-stolen vehicles for 2001 are as follows:

 

 

1. 1991 Toyota Camry

2. 1989 Toyota Camry

3. 1990 Toyota Camry

4. 2000 Honda Civic Si

5. 1994 Chevrolet C1500 4X2

6. 1995 Honda Accord EX

7. 1994 Honda Accord LX

8. 1994 Honda Accord EX

9. 1988 Toyota Camry

10. 1996 Honda Accord LX

 

The study is based on more than 78,000 vehicles reported as total losses from theft by CCC's 350 insurance company customers during calendar 2001.

 

Taste Varies

Thieves' choices differ from region to region, according to the CCC and NICB. The 1994 C1500 4X2 pickup was the most popular vehicle stolen in Texas, while the 1994 Accord EX was the most stolen vehicle in New York state. The 1991 Camry was the top theft in California.

 

The NICB reports city results. The most stolen vehicles in Chicago, IL, are domestic branded sedans, according to the NICB.

[carguru]

Just goes to show you, everyone wants a Chevy pickup!

[Guest Friz]

(Insert Good Ol' Boy accent)

"I wudden' even waste my time stealin' a Goldang Ford"

[99silveradoz71]

Our stolens as of late tend to be late 80's GM stuff and we had a group of kids stealing Neons(easy to get into from what they told the det's).

[silverado3500]

You'll notice that most of the cars stolen are of late model years.  These cars are stolen for parts-- be it to repair a wrecked model, or for the powertrain.  Most of the vehicle's powertrains are interchangable.  Something to consider.

[General Lee 01]

I wonder if any of those top 3 models in the NICB study were "riced out".

[LAYNLOW4ME]

It's cause they're so popular...and there simple as #### to break into.

[silverado3500]

I wonder if any of those top 3 models in the NICB study were "riced out".

Most likely not.  The majority of the ones that we recover are stock (or very close to).  Unfortunately most of the recoveries that we make are vehicles that have already been at least partially stripped.