Pickup trucks remain the most popular vehicles among consumers and car thieves

The Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck was the most stolen vehicle last year, according to the … [+]
It’s no surprise that the top-selling vehicles in the United States, namely full-size pickup trucks, are also the most frequently stolen. For the second year in a row, heavy-duty haulers from Chevrolet and Ford retain the top two spots among National Crime Insurance Bureau (NICB) annual list of “Hot Wheels” in the country, with the GMC version placing in sixth place among the top 10.
According to the NICB, of the nearly one million vehicles reported as stolen last year, an increase of 8% from 2020, 14% of them being the aforementioned full-size pickup trucks. And while new-vehicle buyers’ preferences have largely shifted from sedans to sport-utility vehicles, half of the models on the most stolen list are actually traditional passenger cars.
It appears that the rise in car theft, like many of the country’s recent socio-economic problems, may be linked to the pandemic. “The value of used cars is at historic highs,” says David Glawe, NICB President and CEO. “We have seen an almost 35% increase in the value of used cars over the past two years due to supply chain issues and inflation. Crime is business, and business is good. good.”
You’d think the most stolen models would be some of the flashiest and most expensive limited production rides on the road, but in fact, it’s the exact opposite. While some of the most sought-after 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 larger volumes, such as the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry.
This is because they are worth more than the sum of their parts, so to speak. They are usually chased or even towed to a “shredder shop” where they are disassembled into components that can be passed on to unscrupulous sellers and sold to repair shops and consumers, often via the Internet.
Fortunately, the NICB reports that if reported stolen within the first 24 hours of going missing, 34% of targeted vehicles are eventually recovered.
But some thieves don’t need to steal a vehicle to return ill-gotten gains. On the contrary, they have become adept at stripping them of their most valuable parts where they are parked, often in broad daylight.
Stealing a car or truck’s catalytic converter, which is a key emission control component, has become particularly problematic in recent years. Recyclers would pay between $50 and $250 or more for a used catalytic converter, mostly for the precious metals used to operate it, including platinum, palladium and rhodium. The NICB says 14,443 converters were taken in 2020 (the latest year for which statistics are available), with owners still facing repair bills ranging from $1,000 to $3,000.
And as we recently reported, some criminals have become so desperate in recent months that they have turned to gasoline vehicles by drilling into their fuel tanks to cash in on exorbitant oil prices.
In addition to having a good quality anti-theft system installed, preferably with an immobilizer and/or GPS tracking feature, the NICB recommends using common sense to help thwart car thieves. This means always parking in a well-lit, well-populated high-visibility area, preferably with security cameras present, and keeping the vehicle in a closed garage at home. Above all, always lock it when left unattended, even briefly, and never leave keys or a remote key fob in a storage locker or cup holder.
This last caveat may sound like an insult to intelligence, but as PT Barnum once joked, “No one has ever gone bankrupt by underestimating the intelligence of the American people.” In fact, a surprising number of motorists return to their parking spots at gas stations, convenience stores, and even their own driveways every year to find that their rides have been chased away in the easiest way possible.
Finally, never leave packages or bags, cell phones or other portable devices in a car when it is parked. Always secure valuables in the trunk or hide them under the seats or in the glove compartment to avoid attracting the attention of a performer.
Here’s the NICB’s list of the 10 most stolen used cars, with the “most popular” model years rated and the total number of units taken for each nameplate in 2021:
- Chevy Silverado (2004): 48,206
- Ford F-Series (2006): 47,999
- Honda-Civic (2000): 31,673
- Honda Accord (1997): 30,274
- Toyota Camry (2007): 17,270
- GMC Sierra (2005): 15,599
- Nissan Altima (2020): 14,108
- Honda CR-V (2000): 13,308
- Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee (2018): 13,210
- Toyota Corolla (2020): 12,927
Source: NICB.