Car theft can be as much of a nuisance as—and way pricier than—getting your identity stolen. And if you think it will never happen to you, you might want to think again. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) latest annual “Hot Wheels” report, one of the most commonly stolen cars could be sitting in your garage right now.
Using national vehicle theft data, the NICB identified the 10 most-stolen vehicles of 2016 in the United States. They found that thieves tend to target Honda Accords and Civics, with almost 100,000 thefts in total. Car thieves preferred older vehicles, too; 1997 Accords and 1998 Civics were stolen the most often.
If you own a Ford, Chevy, or Dodge pickup truck, beware! They were the most stolen after Hondas. Toyota Camrys and Corollas, Nissan Altimas, Chevy Impalas, and Jeep Cherokees also made the list, accounting for nearly half of the year’s thefts combined.
Only three types of cars were made in the last two years: the 2016 Toyota Camry and 2015 Nissan Altima and Toyota Corolla. The rest of the makes ranged from 2000 to 2008.
Although this list hasn’t changed much over the past few years, the FBI reports that in the last year alone, the total number of reported vehicle thefts in the U.S. increased by 6.6 percent. The NICB says this could be because car thieves have started to use more sophisticated hacking technology, especially for the electronic anti-theft systems in new vehicles.
If you see your car on the list, don’t panic. You can always make it harder to steal by locking all doors and windows, using anti-theft systems such as car alarms and tracking systems, and parking in well-lit areas. And you should never, ever leave these things in your car.
To rest even easier, you can also purchase a comprehensive car insurance plan that covers the value of your stolen vehicle. (Just make sure you don’t use any of these bizarre car insurance claims.) Happy driving!
Source: NerdWallet
from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2uWmgBP
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