10 Most Stolen Cars

A car is stolen every 26 seconds in America. Nearly half of these are never recovered, having been scrapped for parts or smuggled to another country. Anti-theft devices can help deter criminals, but as the technology of car alarms progresses, so does the crafty nature of auto thieves.

The chances of your car being stolen are approximately 190 to 1. Of course, this number fluctuates based on where you live and what sort of car you drive. The chances that someone wants your rusted El Camino are pretty slim, but that shiny new Escalade in the driveway is awfully tempting to a would-be car thief. Cars with a good market value, whether they are flashy or just practical, are always the most coveted.

The following is a list of the most stolen vehicles in America in 2005, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). These cars are model years 2003 – 2005.
1. Honda Civic
2. Toyota Camry
3. Honda Accord
4. Dodge Caravan
5. Chevrolet C/K 1500
6. Ford F-150
7. Dodge Ram Pickup
8. Acura Integra
9. Toyota Pickup
10. Nissan Sentra

The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), has a bit of a different list. Their top five for model years 2003-2005 includes:
1. Cadillac Escalade
2. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
3. Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab
4. Ford F-250 SuperCrew 4WD/Ford F-350 SuperCrew 4WD
5. Chrysler Sebring

Why the difference between these studies?

The HLDI numbers are based only on insured vehicles. They count the number of total insured vehicles of a certain make/model and compare that number to the number of stolen vehicles of that make/model that filed claims. The NICB numbers do not take into account the ratio of how many cars are on the road and insured, just the number of theft reports for a certain make/model. Typically their numbers will reflect the most popular cars on the market today.

So what happens to these cars?

Most of the cars that stay in the United States are destined for chop-shops where they are stripped down for parts. Many of the cars find their way overseas, where they are sold in car lots or used for replacement parts. Former communist countries that are now embracing capitalism have a population that is hungry for used American vehicles.