Most Stolen Cars 2004, by Mike Bender
Throughout the year different organizations publish a list the top stolen vehicles. Many of these lists differ depending on how the data was collected and how that particular organization wants to present it. Below are some explanations of the "statistics".
On October 19th 2004, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety posted a news release stating that the Escalade was a top theft target and most likely to have a theft claim.
Many times the media takes a press release from one of these organizations and presents their statistics in yet another way. In regards to the above news release CNN Money's story was titled 'Most stolen cars: is yours on the list?' MSNBC reported 'Cadillac Escalade EXT tops most-stolen list'. In reality the Escalade was not stolen as much as something was stolen from it, primarily the tires and wheels. Tire and wheel thefts are one of the most common trends affecting vehicle theft and insurance claims. Tire size matters, 18 inch wheels used to be desirable, now twenty-six inch and above wheels are very desirable. A $10,000 investment is not uncommon.
In the same news release the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the Nissan Maxima as having the second highest claims frequency. This was due to the headlight thefts (HID) as explained previously on this site (see Headlight thefts and stats).
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gets its information from over 20 insurance companies. They collect theft loss data from them but do not distinguish between the theft of the vehicle and theft of parts from the vehicle.
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) contains statistics on stolen vehicles throughout the nation. The FBI oversees this data. They just released their stats for 2003. They estimated that 1.3 million vehicles were stolen which was a slight increase over 2002. They estimate the dollar loss at $8.6 billion. However, that dollar amount is based on an average vehicle value of $6,797 which many believe is below the actual average. Basic property theft (other than burglary or robbery) is valued at $4.9 billion, of which thefts from motor vehicles accounted for the largest portion.
CCC releases stats on stolen vehicles each year that contains information on the most stolen vehicles. On May 25th, 2004 they listed the 1995 Saturn as the most stolen vehicle for 2003, stating that one out of every 200 registered 1995 Saturn SL's were stolen. The 1998 Acura Integra was second. Their stats contain information it receives from over 350 property and casualty insurers that report total losses. However, many stolen vehicles are not total losses and may not be reflected in CCC's stats.
Many states, counties and cities have their own lists on what is being stolen and where. Generally these types of lists are most current and reflect true theft trends.
The Toyota Camry has been on the top ten stolen vehicle lists for years. It has been our experience that this is due to the ease in which an older Camry can be stolen. When we see Civics and Integra's on the list we believe the sport compact scene has fueled their thefts do to the heavy customization and need for replacement parts. Accords on the other hand were previously stolen for replacement body parts such as doors, fenders and hoods.
Knowing 'why' and 'how' a car is stolen can help you if you are a manufacturer, owner, insurance company, or if you just want to protect your investments. Contact us if you have questions on thefts.
The Fast and The Fraudulent investigative training manual will go into more depth on stolen vehicle trends.
Also see the Epidemic Theft and Fraud article in Tips and Trends.
On October 19th 2004, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety posted a news release stating that the Escalade was a top theft target and most likely to have a theft claim.
Many times the media takes a press release from one of these organizations and presents their statistics in yet another way. In regards to the above news release CNN Money's story was titled 'Most stolen cars: is yours on the list?' MSNBC reported 'Cadillac Escalade EXT tops most-stolen list'. In reality the Escalade was not stolen as much as something was stolen from it, primarily the tires and wheels. Tire and wheel thefts are one of the most common trends affecting vehicle theft and insurance claims. Tire size matters, 18 inch wheels used to be desirable, now twenty-six inch and above wheels are very desirable. A $10,000 investment is not uncommon.
In the same news release the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the Nissan Maxima as having the second highest claims frequency. This was due to the headlight thefts (HID) as explained previously on this site (see Headlight thefts and stats).
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gets its information from over 20 insurance companies. They collect theft loss data from them but do not distinguish between the theft of the vehicle and theft of parts from the vehicle.
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) contains statistics on stolen vehicles throughout the nation. The FBI oversees this data. They just released their stats for 2003. They estimated that 1.3 million vehicles were stolen which was a slight increase over 2002. They estimate the dollar loss at $8.6 billion. However, that dollar amount is based on an average vehicle value of $6,797 which many believe is below the actual average. Basic property theft (other than burglary or robbery) is valued at $4.9 billion, of which thefts from motor vehicles accounted for the largest portion.
CCC releases stats on stolen vehicles each year that contains information on the most stolen vehicles. On May 25th, 2004 they listed the 1995 Saturn as the most stolen vehicle for 2003, stating that one out of every 200 registered 1995 Saturn SL's were stolen. The 1998 Acura Integra was second. Their stats contain information it receives from over 350 property and casualty insurers that report total losses. However, many stolen vehicles are not total losses and may not be reflected in CCC's stats.
Many states, counties and cities have their own lists on what is being stolen and where. Generally these types of lists are most current and reflect true theft trends.
The Toyota Camry has been on the top ten stolen vehicle lists for years. It has been our experience that this is due to the ease in which an older Camry can be stolen. When we see Civics and Integra's on the list we believe the sport compact scene has fueled their thefts do to the heavy customization and need for replacement parts. Accords on the other hand were previously stolen for replacement body parts such as doors, fenders and hoods.
Knowing 'why' and 'how' a car is stolen can help you if you are a manufacturer, owner, insurance company, or if you just want to protect your investments. Contact us if you have questions on thefts.
The Fast and The Fraudulent investigative training manual will go into more depth on stolen vehicle trends.
Also see the Epidemic Theft and Fraud article in Tips and Trends.
