Autoblog

Car thieves avoiding Toyota Prius

Zach Bowman — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:30:00 EST

The National Insurance Crime Bureau has taken a closer look at how often car thieves target the Toyota Prius. As it turns out, the most popular hybrid on US roads has a very low theft rate, and when it does get stolen, law enforcement are quick to return the machine to its rightful owners. All told, 2008-2012 Prius models saw a theft rate of one in 606 vehicles compared to one in 78 for all models on the road from the same model year period. Just 2,439 Prius hybrids were stolen in the US between September 4, 2000 and June 30, 2012.

Not surprisingly, California holds the dubious honor of taking the lion's share of those thefts, with 1,062. Florida took second place with 127, followed by New York, Washington and Texas. Toyota has sold 1.2 million Prius models in the US, which means the vehicle constitutes more than half of all hybrid vehicles on the road today. You can take a look at the full NICB press release below for more information.

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Car thieves avoiding Toyota Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video]

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Government/Legal, Ford

We'd guess a thief's favorite Ford Mustang is whichever one he happens to be hooning around in - ahead of either illegally selling it, stripping it for parts or falsifying its VIN to pass it off as a legit car. But the 'Stang that's attracted the most attention from this scourge of society is none other than the 2000 Mustang.

While we're not sure what it is about the venerable Ford pony car in that model year that's caused it to rise to the top of the inaugural National Insurance Crime Bureau "Hot Wheels Classics" report on Mustangs, we are finding the study to be compelling reading. Who knew that 411,155 Mustangs have been stolen since 1981? The report is similar to NICB's annual report on the most stolen cars, but focused on just Mustang thefts, with data dating all the way back to 1964. Apparently NICB got the idea to do a Mustang-centric report after being asked for data from MustangEvolution last year.

Even more interesting than the report, however, is that NICB has also posted a six-minute documentary about how it helped reunite a Shelby GT350 with its rightful owner some 25 years after the car had been stolen. While not exactly part of the report, the video is a pretty cool showpiece for the nonprofit group that investigates car theft and insurance fraud.

To read the full press release and check out the NICB's video, click past the jump.

Continue reading Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video]

Which Ford Mustang is most popular with thieves? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Domestics make gains on unfortunate list... 10 Most Stolen Cars

Zach Bowman — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal

Domestic automakers have outpaced their import counterparts on the top ten list of most stolen vehicles for the first time since 2002. According to a new report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, Ford vehicles took three places on the Most Stolen Vehicles of 2010 list, while two Chevrolet and two Dodge models also made the cut. To be fair, only the 1999 Chevrolet full-size pickup (read: Silverado) and 1997 Ford F-150 broke into the top five - those models landed themselves in fourth and fifth place, respectively. The podium spots go to the 1994 Honda Accord in first, the 1995 Honda Civic in second and the 1991 Toyota Camry in third.

Even though thieves seem to have cultivated a taste for domestic models, vehicle theft on the whole has continued to decline. NICB says that early FBI crime statistics for 2010 indicated a substantial 7.2 percent decrease in stolen vehicles over 2009. Once verified, that will give 2010 the honor of being the year with the fewest stolen vehicles since 1967. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading Domestics make gains on unfortunate list... 10 Most Stolen Cars

Domestics make gains on unfortunate list... 10 Most Stolen Cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auto theft drops to lowest level since 1967

Zach Bowman — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

Vehicle theft in the U.S. fell by 7.2 percent in 2010. Around 737,404 vehicles were stolen last year, compared to the 794,616 autos pilfered in 2009. That marks the lowest number of stolen vehicles in the U.S. of A. since 1967, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Why the decline? New York City, Detroit, Dallas, Miami and Los Angeles - all previous hot beds for grand theft auto - saw their numbers drop in 2010, and Automotive News reports that new anti-theft technology is going a long way toward curbing the crime.

With several insurance companies offering discounts to customers who install anti-theft systems from LoJack or Ravelco, there's more incentive than ever to protect yourself from car thieves. In addition, the NICB says that cars today are simply more difficult to steal than they were 10 years ago.

Law enforcement has also stepped up its game by using bait vehicles to lure in possible thieves. Officers stake out a vehicle with its windows down and its keys in the ignition and wait for crooks to come by. It's apparently working.

Auto theft drops to lowest level since 1967 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top ten stolen vehicles of 2009

Zach Bowman — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:57:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

It's that time of year again. The National Insurance Crime Bureau has just released its top 10 stolen vehicles from 2009, and once again, the most stolen vehicle in the U.S. continues to be the 1994 Honda Accord. In fact, all but three vehicles retained the same slots on the list as they held last year. Newcomers include the 1994 Chevrolet full-size pickup at number 7, the 2002 Ford Explorer at number 9 and the 2009 Toyota Corolla at number 10. The '02 Explorer moved up one notch from last year, and both the 1999 Ford Taurus and 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee dropped off of the list all together.

The FBI recently released a study finding vehicle theft in the United States was at its lowest point in nearly 20 years, though recovery rates were similarly lower than ever, too. NCIB says that may be due to the fact that the majority of vehicles stolen today are immediately cut up for parts instead of being resold as whole vehicles. Like the FBI, NICB recommends owners use common sense by locking their vehicles, installing a warning or immobilization device and considering a tracking mechanism. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: NICB Most Stolen Vehicles of 2009

[Source: NCIB]

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Top ten stolen vehicles of 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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National Insurance Crime Bureau: Staged accident claims up 46%

Chris Shunk — Sat, 15 May 2010 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal

The major recession that began in 2008 has had a profound effect on the auto industry, and even insurance companies have paid a heavy price for the downturn. While legitimate insurance claims have shrunken a bit since fewer jobs mean fewer motorists on the road, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) claims that fraudulent claims from staged accidents jumped 46 percent from 2007 to 2009.

While we're sure there are a lot of folks out there who aren't too fond of insurance companies, staged accidents are different in that they involve innocent victims who were otherwise obeying the law. Worse, these accidents could result in injuries or even death. In a press release (available after the jump), the NICB calls staged accidents "dangerous criminal events that target innocent drivers with increasingly bold schemes aimed at defrauding insurance companies out of millions of dollars."

Florida leads all states in staged accidents by a large margin, with 3,006 in 2009. New York came in second with 1,680, followed by California, Texas and Illinois. New York City is the top offender by city, but Florida again leads with three offending cities in the top five. The NICB created seven videos demonstrating some of the many techniques criminals use staged accidents to bilk insurance companies. They're not particularly high-quality, but they do get the message across.

[Source: NICB]

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National Insurance Crime Bureau: Staged accident claims up 46% originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 15 May 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Modesto, CA regains top spot for stolen vehicles in the U.S.

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

California's Central Valley takes two of the top ten spots, again, in the National Insurance Crime Bureau's listing of the highest per capita vehicle thefts in the U.S. in 2007. Modesto, CA bumped Las Vegas out of the number one spot, dropping Sin City to number two in the national rankings. San Diego slotted in third, followed by Stockton, CA (about 35 miles from Modesto) and for whatever reason, the NICB grouped San Francisco, Oakland and Fremont, CA into one all-encompassing area for the number five position, despite the three cities being spread 60 miles apart. In the NICB's press release after the jump, it provides a few common sense solutions for thwarting a theft, including removing your keys from the ignition and locking your doors. Additionally, they recommend plenty of high-dollar prevention devices ranging from micro-dot marking and starter-locking devices.

Continue reading Modesto, CA regains top spot for stolen vehicles in the U.S.

Modesto, CA regains top spot for stolen vehicles in the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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