1. 1994 Honda Accord
Trade-In Value*: $975
Original Price in 1994: $15,430
New Car Value (2011): $20,200
Original Price in 1994: $15,430
New Car Value (2011): $20,200
The Accord is loved by both
drivers and thieves and is universally stolen all over America. Drivers
love it for its quality and refinement. It handles well, rates high on
safety and maintenance and has a roomy interior. Thieves, of course,
love them for their parts, which don’t change much from year to year,
and for their lack of anti-theft technology.
2. 1995 Honda Civic
Trade-In Value*: $1,100
Original Price in 1995: $11,970
New Car Value (2011): $17,400
Original Price in 1995: $11,970
New Car Value (2011): $17,400
The Civic gets great reviews and is
one of the best-selling compact cars. People love them for their great
fuel efficiency, reliability, repair history and resale value, according
to Kelley Blue Book. It’s also pretty roomy inside, despite being a
compact. Thieves love them for their parts. Cars like the Camry and
Civic make the most-stolen list just about every year though the model
year generally goes up one.
3. 1991 Toyota Camry
Trade-In Value*: $700
Original Price in 1991: $14,513
New Car Value (2011): $19,900
Original Price in 1991: $14,513
New Car Value (2011): $19,900
The top three cars are all popular
sedans, including the 1991 Toyota Camry. What makes them attractive to
thieves is that these makes and models are easy to steal and the parts
don’t change much from year to year. The Camry is known for its quality
and reliability and great resale value. As a result, it’s a popular
target for thieves all across America, from Delaware to Florida, Kansas,
California and Hawaii.
4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup
Trade-In Value*: $1,200
Original Price in 1997: $17,480
New Car Value (2011): $22,600
Original Price in 1997: $17,480
New Car Value (2011): $22,600
Ford has been making its best-selling
F-series pickup trucks since 1948 and for most of that time the F-150
has not only been the best-selling truck in America but the best-selling
vehicle in America. That means there will always be a market for parts —
and for thieves, who love those older models. 1997, incidentally,
marked Ford’s first redesign of the F-150 since 1980. It was also the
model where Ford introduced the rounded nose, a risky move given the
F-150?s popularity.
5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
Trade-In Value*: $5,050
Original Price in 2004: $22,295
New Car Value (2011): $20,100
Original Price in 2004: $22,295
New Car Value (2011): $20,100
Pickup trucks like the Ram are stolen
for valuable parts such as the wheels and tailgates, Keah said.
Tailgates can often get mangled in an accident and the new ones are
expensive to replace since they often have cameras for backing up in
them. (A tailgate with a camera can set you back $1,000 to $1,500.)
Plus, the older ones are easy to steal, he said.
6. 2000 Dodge Caravan
Trade-In Value*: $1,450
Original Price in 2000: $21,905
New Car Value (2011): $24,800
Original Price in 2000: $21,905
New Car Value (2011): $24,800
The Dodge Caravan is a popular minivan
that is a big hit among soccer moms in places like Michigan and, as a
result, thieves, who steal them for their parts. Thieves love the older
models because they lack anti-theft devices and they have valuable parts
like airbags and catalytic converters. The Caravan is so popular in
Michigan, that five of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in Michigan are
Caravans (the 2000, the 1999, the 1998, the 1997 and the 1996).
7. 1994 Chevrolet Pickup
Trade-In Value*: $1,200
Original Price in 1994: $16,322
New Car Value (2011): $20,800
Original Price in 1994: $16,322
New Car Value (2011): $20,800
Pickup trucks like the 1994 Chevy
Silverado are extremely popular, particularly in Texas and the south. In
Texas, for example, they’re often stolen and then driven across the
border into Mexico where they’re harder to recover.
8. 1994 Acura Integra
Trade-In Value*: $625
Original Price in 1994: $16,695
New Car Value (2011): N/A
Original Price in 1994: $16,695
New Car Value (2011): N/A
The Integra makes the stolen list
because it was a popular vehicle that Honda made from 1985 to 2007 that
people liked to buy and soup up “Fast and Furious” style with everything
from engine modification to enhanced suspension and blinged-up wheels,
Keah explains.
9. 2002 Ford Explorer
Trade-In Value*: $4,350
Original Price in 2002: $27,775
New Car Value (2011): $30,000
Original Price in 2002: $27,775
New Car Value (2011): $30,000
The Ford Explorer is one of the most
popular SUVs on the market. People love the vehicle because it has the
functionality of an SUV but also has style and comfort. Because they’re
so popular, Ford hasn’t made too many changes in subsequent models,
except for improvements to safety and roominess. You know what that
means — thieves love them for the parts!
10. 2009 Toyota Corolla
Trade-In Value*: $11,100
Original Price in 2009: $15,910
New Car Value (2011): $17,400
Original Price in 2009: $15,910
New Car Value (2011): $17,400
The Toyota Corolla is one of the “best
loved cars in America” according to Kelley Blue Book . It rates high on
maintenance and resale value — and it gets decent gas mileage. The 2011
had just “minor cosmetic changes,” which means parts from prior year
models can be used in the newer models, which makes the car very
attractive to car thieves Roughly 800,000 to one million cars are stolen
in America every single year. Many of the same models are on the list
every year but it’s not just because they’re the most popular vehicles.
It’s primarily because they have parts that don’t change much from year to year – and most cars are stolen for the parts, not to drive around, explained Geoff Keah, a special investigator for assurance . So, thieves who steal a 1994 model, for example, could sell the parts to use in models for 1995, 1996, etc.
It’s primarily because they have parts that don’t change much from year to year – and most cars are stolen for the parts, not to drive around, explained Geoff Keah, a special investigator for assurance . So, thieves who steal a 1994 model, for example, could sell the parts to use in models for 1995, 1996, etc.