Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles of 2015
Each year hundreds of thousands of vehicles are stolen in the U.S., but which are most popular with thieves?
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has released its annual Hot Wheels report, which identifies the 10 most stolen vehicles in the U.S. The data used to compile the report comes from law enforcement, that is sent to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and determines the vehicle make, model and year.
SEE ALSO: California Still the Hottest Spot for Car Theft
Why are these cars on this list? Sheer volume is one reason – the more popular a car is, the more likely it is to be stolen, the strong black market demand for parts plays a role, and lack of proper security systems might factor in.
If you’ve been paying attention to the Hot Wheels report for the last few years, you may see some familiar cars on this year’s list.
10. Chevrolet Impala
Last year, a total of 9,225 Impalas were stolen in the U.S. The Impala was a popular target in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
9. Dodge Caravan
For reasons unknown to us, the Dodge Caravan was also a popular target among thieves with a total of 9,798 units stolen last year. States where the Caravan was one of the top 10 stolen vehicles include Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
8. Nissan Altima
Coming in eighth place is the Nissan Altima with 10,374 units stolen last year. States where thieves found the Altima appealing include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
7. Toyota Corolla
It’s not a huge surprise to see the Toyota Corolla on the list considering it is one of the best-selling vehicles in the U.S. Still, 10,547 units were stolen last year and it was more popular in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington.
6. Dodge Pickup (Full Size)
Dodge pickup trucks are also especially attractive to thieves, with a total of 11,212 units stolen in the U.S. in 2015. It cracked the top 10 list in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
5. Toyota Camry
Considering the Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in the U.S. for the past 14 years, it’s understandable that it’s also one of the most stolen vehicles in the U.S. Last year, a total of 15,466 units were taken from their owners. It was among the most popular vehicles stolen in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
4. Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)
As we near the top of the list, most of these vehicles landed on the top 10 list of each state, but the Chevrolet pickup actually ended up at the top of the list on many states. A total of 27,771 units were stolen last year and it was the most stolen vehicle in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont and Wyoming.
3. Ford Pickup (Full Size)
It makes sense that the more units an automaker sells of a particular vehicle, the higher chance it’s stolen. When there’s more on the road, there’s bound to be more taken by thieves and the Ford F-150 is a prime example. As the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for well more than 30 years, a total of 29,396 units were stolen last year. The Ford pickup topped the list in the following states: Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.
2. Honda Civic
Once again, the Honda Civic is in second place on the list with 49,430 units stolen last year. It was the most stolen vehicle in Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New Mexico.
1. Honda Accord
Topping the list for another year straight is the Honda Accord with a total of 52,244 units stolen in 2015. Thieves in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia and Washington helped make the Accord the most stolen vehicles in their respective states.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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Idiots leave keys in cars, sometimes engine running too, while they run into store. A handgun and iPad sitting in plain view too! Late model cars are not easy to steal for the most part. The average thug is just gonna find a car with the keys left in it.
The broad numbers of total sales are slightly interesting, but you guys should do a list how many were stolen compared to how many are sold in the first place is a better way to look at this. What cars have the highest RATE of theft overall?