2011 Most Stolen Cars List is out

[CountDeMoney]

You know, it almost assuages my old age that they're still stealing the same fucking cars that I used to take reports on almost 20 years ago. 

Gotta love those '94 Hondas and Ackoorahs.

NICB Names 10 Most-Stolen Vehicles for 2011
Key Code Thefts a Growing Concern

DES PLAINES, Ill., Aug. 20, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released Hot Wheels − its list of the 10 most-stolen vehicles in the United States. The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and determines the vehicle make, model and model year most reported stolen in 2011.

See the full report at www.nicb.org.

For 2011, the most-stolen vehicles* in the nation were:

    1994 Honda Accord
    1998 Honda Civic
    2006 Ford Pickup (Full Size)
    1991 Toyota Camry
    2000 Dodge Caravan
    1994 Acura Integra
    1999 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)
    2004 Dodge Pickup (Full Size)
    2002 Ford Explorer
    1994 Nissan Sentra

Each year, NICB reviews all NCIC vehicle theft records to produce its national and state lists of the 10 most-stolen vehicles. Hot Wheels is the only report that examines all theft data without regard to a vehicle's insured status − if a vehicle was reported stolen to law enforcement, it is captured in this report.

The top 10 places were evenly split in 2011 with five belonging to foreign brands and five to U.S. automakers. Most popular models among the domestic brands were Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet pickup trucks each holding one spot with the Dodge Caravan and Ford Explorer rounding out the domestic models.

Once again, 2011 is on track to continue the national vehicle theft decline. Preliminary 2011 FBI crime statistics indicate a 3.3 percent reduction from the 737,142 thefts recorded in 2010. Vehicle thefts have not been this low since 1967.

"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.

"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. We are aware of nearly 300 thefts that took place in the first three months of this year in which we believe replacement keys using illegally obtained key codes were used to steal the vehicle. We are working closely with our member companies, law enforcement, and the vehicle manufacturers to track these illegal key code transactions and stop the thefts or recover the stolen vehicles before they can be resold here or shipped out of the country to be sold overseas."

Even one theft is one too many if it happens to you. NICB urges motorists to follow its "layered approach" to auto theft prevention. By employing these simple, low-cost suggestions, people can make their vehicles less attractive to thieves.

NICB's four layers of protection are:

Common Sense:  Lock your car and take your keys. It's simple enough, but many thefts occur because owners make it easy for thieves to steal their cars.

Warning Device:  Having and using a visible or audible warning device is another item that can ensure that your car remains where you left it.

Immobilizing Device:  Generally speaking, if your vehicle can't be started, it can't be stolen. "Kill" switches, fuel cut-offs and smart keys are among the devices that are extremely effective.

Tracking Device:  A tracking device emits a signal to the police or to a monitoring station when the vehicle is stolen. Tracking devices are very effective in helping authorities recover stolen vehicles. Some systems employ "telematics," which combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle. If the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner and the vehicle can be tracked via computer.

[DGuller]

As a professional sort-of statistician, it always struck me how utterly useless these kinds of lists are.  It's like saying that most murders occur in California and Texas.

[Barrister]

More vehicles are stolen by people finding the keys inside the vehicle...

[Syt]

List for Germany 2010, relative to number of registered cars of the type (more than 2% of all registered Lexus' were stolen in 2010):

1. Toyota Lexus RX400, Hybrid
2. BMW M3 Coupe
3. VW Caravelle T4, Multivan 2.5 TDI
4. BMW X5/X6 3.0 SD
5. BMW X5/X6 3.0 D
6. Toyota Landcruiser 3.0 D-4D
7. Porsche Cayenne S 4.8 Allrad
8. Porsche Cayenne TURBO 4.5 Allrad -
9. Porsche Cayenne 3.0 V6 TDI
10. 7.5 BMW 535D

In absolute numbers, VW leads the statistic, of course, before Audi, BMW and Merc.

[Ideologue]

Damn, Japanese cars hold up.

[DGuller]

Was there a devastating fire at the car lock factory in 1994?

[CountDeMoney]

What I find most interesting is this:

"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. We are aware of nearly 300 thefts that took place in the first three months of this year in which we believe replacement keys using illegally obtained key codes were used to steal the vehicle. We are working closely with our member companies, law enforcement, and the vehicle manufacturers to track these illegal key code transactions and stop the thefts or recover the stolen vehicles before they can be resold here or shipped out of the country to be sold overseas."

When I worked for a repo company, the only way you could get the key code was either from the manufacturer, or from the dealer that originally sold the car;  the type of code was in the purchasing jacket, and once you got that, you could give it to the locksmith, and he'd cut the keys;  thing is, nobody at the dealership was going to give them voluntarily--had to pretext the dealerships.   And with transponders, it only got more difficult, because it's all computerized;  but still, you can only get the codes to program the transponders from either the factory, or the dealership.

[MadImmortalMan]

I locked my keys in the car once, and they were sitting on the front seat. The locksmith came and looked at the key sitting on the seat, wrote down the sequence and made me new keys right there in his van.

[Maximus]

And with transponders, it only got more difficult, because it's all computerized;

You and I both know that that only makes it more difficult if you have to do it legally.

[Siege]

But nobody steals flying cars!