America’s Most Stolen Cars

Believe it or not, luxury cars like the Lexus ES and the Mercedes-Benz CLK or sporty chic autos like the elusive Chevy Corvette are not the types of cars on thieves’ minds these days. To today’s savvy car thief, bigger is always better. 

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) claims that the 1995 Honda Civic is currently the number one stolen vehicle in America. But according to Russ Rader, a spokesperson for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Cadillac Escalade ESV “has been the star of the show with car thieves for the better part of the decade.” The reason the Escalade is the most coveted auto among today’s car thief is simple: the Escalade has “pop-culture appeal, and thieves are attracted to it.” The 2007 Escalade currently has a claim frequency of 15.0 per 1,000 for each insured vehicle year, with an average loss payment per claim of $13,060.

Although a few smaller models such as the 2005-2007 Honda S2000 Convertible made the IIHS list of America’s most stolen cars, the overwhelming majority of vehicles on the IIHS list are big trucks and SUVs. So why are thieves so enamored with big cars? Besides pop-culture appeal, there’s just much more to steal. This means, there are more parts to sell—and not just any parts. The biggest, the baddest, and the most expensive cars typically have the most expensive parts and the most tricked-out accessories. Overall, large vehicles are also more accessible to thieves than typical everyday cars like the family sedan. The common perception among thieves about the everyday car is – it will likely spend the night in a suburban garage, not on a residential city street, driveway, or carport or in an open parking lot.

The next most stolen vehicle in America, behind the Cadillac Escalade ESV, is the 2005-2007 Ford F-250 SuperCrew. Diesel-engine pick-up trucks like the F-250 and F-350 have recently become a target for car cloning rings across the country. Number three on the list is none other than the ESV’s younger sibling, Cadillac Escalade. Before we list the America’s top ten most stolen cars, continue reading to find out how the IIHS determines which cars make the cut.

How Does the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Determine the Most Stolen Cars?

The Highway Loss Data Institute is an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Together, the two institutes review insurance claim reports each year to determine theft-frequency rates based on the number of claims filed for every 1,000 vehicles insured annually. The report for the 2008-year was released in October of the same year and it includes 2005, 2006 and 2007 model-year cars, light trucks, and SUVs. Based on the number of claims filed, the IIHS calculates the amount paid to the consumer by the insurance company (average loss payment) made for each claim filed.

America’s Most Stolen Cars

1. 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV
Claim frequency: 15.0/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $13,060

2. 2005-2007 Ford F-250 SuperCrew
Claim frequency: 13.1/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $19,250

3. 2007 Cadillac Escalade
Claim frequency: 11.3/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $14,657

4. 2006-2007 Dodge Charger
Claim frequency: 11/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $7,047

5. 2005-2007 Ford F-350 SuperCrew
Claim frequency: 10.7/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $20,138

6. 2005-2007 Hummer H2 SUT
Claim frequency: 10/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $23,771

7. 2005-2007 Dodge Magnum
Claim frequency: 9.9/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $8,926

8. 2005-2007 Hummer H2
Claim frequency: 8.7/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $18,791

9. 2005-2007 Honda S2000 convertible
Claim frequency: 8.1/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $13,624

10. 2005-2007 Dodge Durango
Claim frequency: 8.1/per 1,000
Average loss payment per claim: $9,682

Sources

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS)
Highway Loss Data Institute
http://www.iihs.org/

National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)
https://www.nicb.org

Forbes.com
America's Most- And Least-Stolen Cars
http://www.forbes.com