I was amazed to learn that every 25.5 seconds a vehicle is stolen in the United States. That statistic is truly hard to wrap my mind around but then again I can’t really comprehend the millions of cars in this country.
The top ten most stolen cars in 2005 according to the NCIB are:
1) 1991 Honda Accord
2) 1995 Honda Civic
3) 1989 Toyota Camry
4) 1994 Dodge Caravan
5) 1994 Nissan Sentra
6) 1997 Ford F150 Series
7) 1990 Acura Integra
8) 1986 Toyota Pickup
9) 1993 Saturn SL
10) 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
Exactly 1,235,226 vehicles were stolen in 2005 according to NCIB, 2,625 fewer than in 2004. However, only 62.1% of vehicles were actually recovered, leaving around 450,000 vehicles still outstanding. These vehicles are likely used in one of the following three ways:
Exports: NICB Agents have recovered a significant number of stolen vehicles from foreign countries. It is not unusual for stolen vehicles to be shipped intact to other countries where prospective buyers can have them for a fraction of what they would legitimately cost and with no questions asked.
Owner Give-Ups: An owner give-up is the term that describes a vehicle that has been reported stolen by its owner when the owner is actually making a false theft report. In these situations, vehicles are driven into ponds, lakes, or quarries, set on fire in sparsely populated areas, or even driven into Mexico and abandoned with their owners filing "theft" reports later.
Chop Shops: A good percentage of stolen vehicles end up in chop shops. These are places that dissemble stolen vehicles and sell their parts to individuals, dealers, body shops - just about anyone who has a need but has no scruples. Thieves can sell the individual parts from older models for more money than the vehicle is worth intact.
Owner Give-Ups: An owner give-up is the term that describes a vehicle that has been reported stolen by its owner when the owner is actually making a false theft report. In these situations, vehicles are driven into ponds, lakes, or quarries, set on fire in sparsely populated areas, or even driven into Mexico and abandoned with their owners filing "theft" reports later.
Chop Shops: A good percentage of stolen vehicles end up in chop shops. These are places that dissemble stolen vehicles and sell their parts to individuals, dealers, body shops - just about anyone who has a need but has no scruples. Thieves can sell the individual parts from older models for more money than the vehicle is worth intact.
Considering there are close to half a million cars that never turn up thousands of people must be making a good living off stolen cars. If you drive one of the cars on the list take as many precautions as you can to prevent it from being stolen.
