Even car thieves are over sedans and coupes, now targeting full-size trucks
2006 Ford full-size trucks are now the most stolen vehicles in America, according to a recent study.
The fifth-generation Honda Accord my be the oldest car on the list, and likely the model on the list for the longest, but its place is slipping.
It's probably fair to assume that when you -- or most people, really -- think about the most stolen cars in America, you probably picture clapped-out 1990s Hondas and Toyotas. While that certainly was the case for a long time -- partly due to the cars' popularity and partly because, let's face it, they were easy to steal -- that isn't the case anymore.
Want proof? Well, the National Insurance Crime Bureau has just published its annual Hot Wheels report on Tuesday that details not only the make and model of the most stolen cars overall but also the year and which cars are the most stolen in a particular state. So, what makes the top of the list for 2019?
In a move that surprised the hell out of us, the most stolen vehicle in America is now the 2006 Ford full-size pickup (think your F-150 and Super-Duty models). This makes a lot of sense on a few levels. First, the F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in the country by a large margin, so like those '90s Hondas, there are plenty of victims to choose from. Next, trucks ' and SUVs ' popularity has likely trickled down to the illicit used parts business, making coupes and sedans less popular targets.
It's now open season on the mid-aughts version of the Ford F-series pickups, so don't get too attached to yours, friend.
OK, but what other vehicles are on the list? Well, somewhat unsurprisingly, the 1997 Honda Accord is still on there, which represents both impressive staying power and a shocking lack of resistance to automotive malfeasance. It's way down at no. 4, though. No. 2 on the list is also a Honda -- the 2000 Honda Civic . No. 3 is the 2004 Chevrolet full-size pickups. Rounding out the top five is the 2007 Toyota Camry .
Now, as we get a little deeper into the top 10, things get more interesting. Specifically with the vehicles in seventh and ninth place -- the 2018 Toyota Corolla and the 2018 GMC full-size truck, respectively. One would think that over the past few decades, cars have gotten much harder to steal, but that may not be as much the case as we'd previously imagined.
So what can you do as an owner of one of these models? Well, beyond not getting overly emotionally attached, you can make sure you park in well-lit and highly trafficked areas or inside in a secure garage. It's all about making the theft as inconvenient as possible for your would-be car thief.
If you're interested in checking out the top models stolen in your particular state, NICB has you covered, too (PDF). It's published the results of its 2019 model year study on its website.
