The number of cars stolen in America is on the decline, but there has been an increase in thefts of newer cars despite advanced security technology, says a report compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
“While overall thefts continue to decline, we are seeing a trend toward increases in the thefts of late model vehicles, ones that are theoretically harder to steal due to sophisticated key code technology,” said NICB president and CEO Joe Wehrle, in a statement.
Quoting early FBI crime statistics for 2011, the report says thefts were down 3.3 percent from 2010. The number of vehicles stolen in the United States is now as low as it was in the late ‘60s.
Of the list of top 10 most-stolen vehicles, five belong to U.S. automakers and five to foreign brands. Family cars were the most-stolen followed by pickup trucks.
The most-stolen vehicle in America was the 1994 Honda Accord, followed by the 1998 Honda Civic. Third on the list was the 2006 Ford Pickup, then the 1991 Toyota Camry, and fifth the 2000 Dodge Caravan.
Wehrle said car thieves were becoming increasingly sophisticated, noting that nearly 300 vehicles had been stolen using illegally obtained key codes in the first three months of this year.
For 2011, the most-stolen vehicles* in the nation were:
1. 1994 Honda Accord
2. 1998 Honda Civic
3. 2006 Ford Pickup (Full Size)
4. 1991 Toyota Camry
5. 2000 Dodge Caravan
6. 1994 Acura Integra
7. 1999 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)
8. 2004 Dodge Pickup (Full Size)
9. 2002 Ford Explorer
10. 1994 Nissan Sentra
“Today’s vehicle thieves are typically professional criminals who have figured out how to get the key code for a specific vehicle, have a replacement key made, and steal the vehicle within a matter of days,” he said.
Insurance companies, the police, and car manufacturers are working together to track illegal key code transactions, he said, in an effort to prevent thefts and also to recover stolen vehicles before they can be sold or shipped overseas.
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