The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released their annual report detailing the current state of auto theft in the United States. In California, the 10 most stolen vehicles are the following:
1 1994 Honda Accord
2 1998 Honda Civic
3 1991 Toyota Camry
4 1994 Acura Integra
5 2004 Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full Size)
6 2006 Ford Pick-Up (Full Size)
7 1994 Nissan Sentra
8 2010 Toyota Corolla
9 1997 Nissan Altima
10 1988 Toyota Pickup 4x2
Many are on the list due to their popularity and longevity, creating a large, lucrative market for stolen used parts. It is also believed that improvement in anti-theft technology has kept the numbers of newer vehicles potentially on the list low. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) notes that the number of vehicles recovered has fallen to 57% over the past three years. Organized crime has taken a greater interest in these stolen vehicles and the used parts market they feed. Many vehicles are not recovered and many that are recovered are severely damaged and missing significant parts.
The NICB (www.nicb.org) publishes a number of tips for preventing theft and various frauds. You can download these at the following link (https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/brochures).
In the time you read this post and viewed the embedded video on YouTube, more than 8 more vehicles were stolen in the U.S. Please lock your doors, remove your keys from the ignition, close your windows completely, and park in well-lit areas. For the next 3 layers of protection, download the auto theft prevention brochure from the NICB website.