Metropolis Reality Forums - America's Most Stolen Vehicles

Sponsored by: The Fans!

Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register.
Nov 26^th, 2024, 3:35am

Upcoming Premiere Dates:
Survivor 23, Season premiere
Thursday, September 14 (8:00-9:30 PM, ET/PT) on CBS

Metropolis Reality Forums Ť America's Most Stolen Vehicles ť

   Metropolis Reality Forums
   Off-Topic Forums
   In the News (Moderators: lakelady, yesteach, MediaScribe, Bumper, Isle_be_back)
   America's Most Stolen Vehicles

Previous topic | New Topic | Next topic »

Pages: 1

Add Poll

Notify of replies

Send Topic

Author

Topic: America's Most Stolen Vehicles (Read 166 times)

Rhune
ForumsNet Administrator

Gender:

Posts: 292

America's Most Stolen Vehicles
« on: Aug 10^th, 2004, 6:54pm »

Quote

Modify

America's Most Stolen Vehicles

by the Editors of MSN Autos

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

The 1995 Saturn SL received the dubious honor of being the most stolen vehicle of 2003, according to the most recent stolen vehicle report from CCC Information Services Inc. The CCC report is based on the number of vehicles thefts in 2003 compared to the number of registered vehicles and found that one out of every 200 1995 Saturn SLs registered was stolen last year. The 1998 Acura Integra and the 1994 Saturn SL were second and third on the list.
Thieves still prefer cars over SUVs or pickupsalthough large SUVs are becoming more common on the lists. In two separate studies, one from CCC and the other from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), at least seven of the ten most commonly stolen vehicles in the United States are cars, with the Acura Integra, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic and Honda Accord prominent in the lists.

The 2003 stolen vehicle report from CCC Information Services Inc. is based on the rate of theft for a vehicle as a percentage of the total number of that vehicle registered. CCC analyzes total loss claims received from more than 350 property and casualty insurers in North America and compares the number of vehicles stolen and not recovered against vehicle registration volume information provided by R.L. Polk & Co., to determine the rate of theft.

CCC changed the method of determining the most stolen vehicles for the 2003 study, basing the report on the theft rate rather than the number of thefts, which had skewed the report toward the most popular models. CCC is a technology provider to the automotive claims and repair industry.

CCC does not include vehicles stolen for joyrides or otherwise recovered and returned to their owners, but only vehicles stolen and deemed a total loss, or never recovered. A vehicle is considered a total loss when the cost to repair it approaches or exceeds the value of the vehicle.

"Six Acura Integras with consecutive model years (1994-1999) account for six of the top eight spots," according to Mary Jo Prigge, CCC's president of sales and service, an effect referred to as "clustering."

"We cannot determine the exact reason thieves prefer some vehicles over others, but our data suggests some cars are stolen for the value of their parts, which may explain why we often see a 'clustering' effect with same make and model vehicles from sequential model year," explained Prigge.

NCIB, which tallies all vehicles reported by law enforcement agencies as stolen each year, said the Camry was first in theft during its most recent study, which was for calendar 2002. The Accord was second. Both are among America's bestselling 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; however, the most popular model year of Camry among thieves was 1989. According to the NICB, motor vehicle thefts in 2002 totaled 1.2 million, which was a slight increase over 2001. This is the third consecutive year of increase following a ten year decline.

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 identifies the most-stolen vehicles by analyzing the total losses submitted to it by more than 350 property and casualty insurers in North America.

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 SUVs with the highest theft rates, according to the CCC 2003 stolen vehicle report, are the 2002 Mitsubishi Montero and the 1996 Chevrolet Tahoe. Jeep's Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models are the most stolen SUVs according to the NICB, ranked together in the sixth spot in the NICB list.

The most commonly stolen truck, according to the NICB report, is the Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickup, fourth on the NICB list for calendar 2002. The Silverado was sixth on the 2002 CCC list, but with the 2003 list based on theft rate, the truck dropped out of the top ten.

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."

The CCC reports the ten most-stolen vehicles for 2003 are as follows:

1995 Saturn SL
1998 Acura Integra
1994 Saturn SL
1999 Acura Integra
1995 Acura Integra
1997 Acura Integra
1996 Acura Integra
1994 Acura Integra
2002 Mitsubishi Montero
2000 Honda Civic

The study is based on total loss claims received from more than 350 property and casualty insurers in North America and compares the number of vehicles stolen and not recovered against vehicle registration volume information provided by R.L. Polk & Co., to determine the rate of theft.

Here is the NICB top ten listthe number in parentheses is the model year most stolen:

Toyota Camry (1989)
Honda Accord (1994)
Honda Civic (2000)
Chevrolet Full-Size Pickup (1992)
Ford F-Series Pickup (1997)
Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee (1993)
Oldsmobile Cutlass (1986)
Dodge Caravan (1994)
Ford Taurus (1996)
Toyota Corolla (2001)
This study is based on some 1.2 million motor vehicles reported stolen to the NICB in 2002 by law enforcement agencies nationwide.

Taste Varies
Thieves' choices differ from region to region, according to the CCC and NICB. The 1994 C1500 4X2 pickup was the most-stolen vehicle stolen in Texas, while 13 of the 25 most-stolen vehicles in California were imports. The NICB also reported that the most stolen color was white, followed by red, blue, black and green.

IP Logged

AoM
ForumsNet Member

Posts: 2277

Re: America's Most Stolen Vehicles
« Reply #1 on: Aug 10^th, 2004, 8:04pm »