1990s Hondas Are Still Number One (with Car Thieves)
It’s hard to keep a good car down…or in your driveway.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau released its annual “Hot Wheels” report this week, identifying the most stolen vehicles in the U.S. It seems that thieves just can’t shake their appreciation of Clinton-era Civics and Accords.
The most stolen vehicle in the country last year was the 1996 Honda Accord, a 19-year-old model that saw a total of 52,244 thefts. Honda should be proud — not only are its old models still popular, but there’s still 42,244 of them on the road worth stealing.
In the number two spot is the 1998 Honda Civic, of which 49,430 were stolen. Far less popular, but still in high demand, were 2006 Ford full-size pickups. Decade-old versions of the world’s best-selling vehicle took the number three spot with 29,396 thefts.
Rounding out the rest of the top 10 list, in declining order, are: 2004 Chevrolet full-size pickup, 2014 Toyota Camry, 2001 Dodge full-size pickup, 2014 Toyota Corolla, 2015 Nissan Altima, 2002 Dodge Caravan, and the 2008 Chevrolet Impala.
The top two picks generally favored coastal states, and were most popular in California, where both the ’96 Accord and ’98 Civic saw just over 28,000 thefts each. Thieves in the Southern and Midwestern states seemed to prefer Chevy pickups, but so did their comrades in Vermont. In Ohio, Maryland, Illinois and the District of Columbia, the Dodge Caravan was the go-to ride for the illegally self-employed.
Among new vehicles (model year 2015), the Nissan Altima topped the list with 1,104 thefts, followed closely by the Chrysler 200 with 1,069. Maybe this is why Fiat Chrysler Automobiles can’t sell a 200 to save its life — people are getting them for free.
The rest of the new vehicle list is a who’s who of popular sedans. The only truck or SUV in the top 10 is the GMC Sierra.
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The fact that there are still 14 year old Caravans around to steal says a lot, despite the reputation broadcast on this website, for their durability/reliability. When I bought my '06 I laughed because the dealer pointed out that it had an engine immobiliser. "Who wants to steal a four cylinder Caravan?" I asked. And then someone tried to steal it on two separate occasions and did a LOT of damage but, because of the immobiliser, couldn't actually move it. Apparently they are common targets for burglars because they are invisible and then you can break into a house and steal everything in the house and fit it in the Caravan.
This paticular Accord generation used Integra brakes and a few Prelude bits in the suspension, you could swipe those bits and sell them for a pretty penny to anyone looking to keep their ricey coupe in da hood. Of course then you have modded cars (91% of all remaining Hondas), which are serious thief magnets just for their currently rented rims or whatever junk the owner chucked on. Weirdly, I know two garages with early 90s Accords that have been "dumped" on them (owner wint pay for the repairs), In surprised thiefs havent gotten to them yet. Must be because they're some of the only stock Accords left.