Did your car or truck make the list?

[Tigermike 3,039]

America's Most Stolen Vehicles

by the Editors of MSN Autos 

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

Model-year 2002 and 2003 Nissan Maximas are the second most popular among thieves, primarily because of the car's expensive headlights.

According to the CCC report, the 1995 Saturn SL was the most stolen vehicle in 2003; one out of every 200 cars registered was stolen.

The 1994-1999 Acura Integra is very popular with thieves, according to the 2003 stolen vehicle report by CCC Information Services Inc.

   

    Cadillac Escalade EXT 

    Nissan Maxima 

    Cadillac Escalade 

    Dodge Stratus 

    Chrysler Sebring 

    Dodge Intrepid 

    Toyota Camry 

    Honda Accord 

    Honda Civic 

    Chevrolet Silverado 1500 

    Ford F-150 

    Jeep Grand Cherokee 

    Jeep Cherokee 

    Oldsmobile Cutlass 

    Dodge Caravan 

    Ford Taurus 

    Toyota Corolla 

   

The Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee top the NICB list as America's most stolen SUVs.

The 1988-1991 Toyota Camry is a favorite among car thieves, according to the NICB list of America's most stolen vehicles.

In the latest study of the most stolen vehicles in America, the luxurious Cadillac Escalade EXT pickup truck came out on top. This study, prepared by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), looks at the insurance theft losses reported for one- to three-year-old vehicles.

The Escalade EXT and Nissan Maxima, which is second on the list, have theft claim rates seven to eight times higher than the average for all cars. "This is the second year in a row that an Escalade is among the vehicles most likely to have a theft claim," said Kim Hazelbaker, HLDI senior vice president. "Both the Escalade pickup and SUV also top the list of vehicles with the most expensive theft claims, indicating they are top targets for thieves."

One of the likely reasons for the Escalade's popularity among thieves is the propensity for owners to outfit the big Cadillacs with expensive wheel packages, some costing as much as $10,000. Where wheels are popular on the Escalade, the Nissan Maxima's theft rate climbed dramatically in 2002 when the company made expensive high-intensity discharge headlights part of the car's standard equipment.

"Investigators tell us the high-intensity discharge headlights are often stolen because they fit into earlier Maximas that were sold without such lights," Hazelbaker said. "This car was redesigned for 2004, and its new headlight assemblies don't fit previous generation models. It's too early to tell if the 2004s will still have a theft problem."

Also included in the HLDI list of most stolen vehicles are the Cadillac Escalade SUV, Dodge Stratus/Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Intrepid. Least stolen, according to the same study, are the Buick LeSabre, Buick Park Avenue, Ford Taurus, Buick Rendezvous and Saturn LW.

However, the HLDI study is just one of three that list the most stolen cars in America.

The 1995 Saturn SL received the dubious honor of being listed as 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 pickups—although 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 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.

HLDI results are based on the number of insured vehicles. Information on theft losses published by the National Insurance Crime Bureau and CCC Information Services doesn't take into account how many of each vehicle are insured, so the most popular vehicles on the road tend to top these organizations' lists of most stolen vehicles. In contrast, HLDI identifies vehicles with the worst theft losses by counting the number of claims by make and model relative to the number of each make and model insured, indicating which vehicles are most likely to be targets.

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.

http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?c...id=2891&src=Ins