Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in National Underwriter, P&C.
The 1994 Honda Accord ranked as the most stolen vehicle in the United States in 2008, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau's (NICB) "Hot Wheels 2009" report.
At the same time, the NICB said that the preliminary 2008 FBI Uniform Crime Report shows vehicle theft is on pace to decrease by 13.1 percent compared to 2007.
If the projection holds, 2008 would be the fifth consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts. NICB said if that trend continues, total thefts for 2008 would be below 1 million vehicles--a 20-year low.
Following the 1994 Accord on the list of most stolen vehicles were:
o 1995 Honda Civic
o 1989 Toyota Camry
o 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup
o 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
o 2000 Dodge Caravan
o 1996 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
o 1994 Acura Integra
o 1999 Ford Taurus
o 2002 Ford Explorer
Last year, the 1995 Civic was the most stolen car, and the 1994 Accord did not crack the top 10.
The NICB said certain models of older cars and trucks are popular with thieves because of the value of their parts.
"Frequently, the parts can be stripped from a car at a chop shop and sold for at least twice as much as the value of the vehicle on the used car market," the NICB said.
The organization added that newer models are also more difficult to steal because of anti-theft technology incorporated by the manufacturers.
The NICB compiled its list by examining data reported to the National Crime Information Center.
Phil Gusman is an associate editor at National Underwriter, a member of Summit Business Media's P&C Magazine Group, which includes Claims.
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