Pickup Trucks Remain The Most Popular Vehicles Among Both Consumers And Car Thieves

It should come as no surprise that the top selling vehicles in the U.S., namely full-size pickup trucks, are also the ones that are most often stolen. For the second year running, Chevrolet and Ford’s heavy haulers hold down the top two spots among the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB’s) annual list of the nation’s “Hot Wheels,” with the GMC version landing in sixth place among the top 10.

According to the NICB, of the nearly 1 million vehicles were reported stolen last year—which is an eight percent increase from 2020—with 14 percent of them being the aforementioned full size pickups. And while new-vehicle buyers’ preferences have largely shifted away from sedans and into sport-utility vehicles, half of the models on the most-purloined list are in fact traditional passenger cars.

It seems the rise in car thefts, like many of the nation’s recent socioeconomic woes, can be tied to the pandemic. “Used car values are at historical highs,” explains David Glawe, President and CEO of NICB. “We have seen a nearly 35% increase in used car values over the last two years due to supply chain issues and inflation. Crime is a business, and business is good.”

One might think the most stolen models would be among the flashiest and most expensive limited production rides on the road, but in fact the exact opposite is the case. While some of the most desirable luxury and sports cars are indeed taken, usually to be sold overseas, the bulk of those stolen tend to be well-worn older models that originally sold in higher volumes, like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

That’s because they’re worth more than the sum of their parts, so to speak. They’re typically driven off, or even towed away to a “chop shop” where they’re dismantled into components that can be passed off to unscrupulous vendors and sold to repair shops and consumers, often via the Internet.

Fortunately, the NICB says that if reported as stolen within the first 24 hours after going missing, 34 percent of targeted vehicles are eventually recovered.

But some thieves don’t need to actually swipe a vehicle to render ill-gotten gains. Rather they’ve become adept at stripping them for their most valuable parts right where it’s parked, often in broad daylight.

Stealing a car or truck’s catalytic converter, which is a key anti-emissions component, has become especially problematic in recent years. Recyclers will reportedly pay $50-$250 or more for a used catalytic converter, mostly for the precious metals used to make it work, which include platinum, palladium, and rhodium. The NICB says 14,443 converters were taken during 2020 (the last year for which stats are available), with owners left facing repair bills that can run from $1,000-$3,000.

And as we recently reported, some criminals have gotten so desperate in recent months they’ve turned to swiping gas from vehicles by drilling into their fuel tanks to cash in on sky-high petroleum prices.

In addition to having a good quality antitheft system installed, preferably one that has an immobilizing and/or GPS tracking function, the NICB recommends heeding common sense to help thwart car thieves. That means always parking in a well-lit and well-populated high-visibility area, preferably with security cameras present, and keeping the vehicle in a closed garage at home. Importantly, always lock it when left unattended, however briefly, and never leave the keys or a remote key fob in a storage cubby or cup holder.

That latter caution may sound like an insult to one’s intelligence, but as P.T. Barnum once quipped, “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.” In fact, a surprising number of motorists come back to their parking spots at gas stations, convenience stores, and even their own driveways each year to find their rides have been driven off in what is the easiest manner possible.

Finally, never leave packages or bags, mobile phones, or other portable devices within a car while it’s parked. Always secure valuables in the trunk or hide them under seats or in the glove box to avoid catching a smash-and-grab artist’s eye.

Here’s the NICB’s list of the 10 most stolen used cars, with the “most popular” model years noted and the total number of units taken for each nameplate during 2021:

1. Chevrolet Silverado (2004): 48,206
2. Ford F-Series (2006): 47,999
3. Honda Civic (2000): 31,673
4. Honda Accord (1997): 30,274
5. Toyota Camry (2007): 17,270
6. GMC Sierra (2005): 15,599
7. Nissan Altima (2020): 14,108
8. Honda CR-V (2000): 13,308
9. Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee (2018): 13,210
10. Toyota Corolla (2020): 12,927

Source: NICB.