Nearly one million vehicles are stolen every year in the United States, which breaks down to one about every 33 seconds. But those two statistics, while staggering, only tell part of the story of car theft, particularly among the most popular stolen cars brands — Honda and Dodge.
One reason for the massive problem of stolen vehicles is that owners make it easy for those in the car theft occupation.
Consider:
* 50 percent of all vehicles stolen are unlocked.
* 25 percent of all vehicles stolen have a purse of wallet in plain sight.
* 15 percent of all cars stolen have the key in the ignition.
Also:
* 33 percent of all vehicles stolen are in California and Texas.
* 58 percent of all vehicles stolen are returned.
The top-10 stolen cars in the United States in 2011, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) in Des Plaines, Ill.:
1. 1994 Honda Accord
2. 1998 Honda Civic
3. 2006 Ford F-150
4. 1991 Toyota Camry
5. 2000 Dodge Caravan
6. 1994 Acura Integra
7. 1999 Chevrolet Silverado
8. 2004 Dodge Ram
9. 2002 Ford Explorer
10. 1994 Nissan Sentra
Article Last Updated: November 10, 2013.
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A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
