The Top 10 Most Stolen Cars

Article Written By: Robert Brogden

The National Insurance Crime Bureau released a report on September 20, 2010 listing the most stolen vehicles of 2009. They also reported the annual total of vehicle thefts was down over 162000 vehicles, most likely due to new technology in anti-auto theft devices. Here is the list of vehicles most stolen in 2009:

1. 1994 Honda Accord

2. 1995 Honda Civic

3. 1991 Toyota Camry

4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup

5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup

6. 2000 Dodge Caravan

7. 1994 Chevrolet Full Size Pickup

8. 1994 Acura Integra

9. 2002 Ford Explorer

10. 2009 Toyota Corolla

The next logical question is how can you prevent your vehicle from being stolen. There is no guarantee that it will never happen, but it is possible to deter a thief.

The cheapest and easiest way to deter vehicle theft is simply exercising your common sense. No matter how short your stop is, always secure your car. Turn off and remove your keys from the ignition. Lock the doors and windows - no matter what the temperature outside. It does not cost a single penny to simply lock your vehicle, even if you are just stepping out for a moment. A lot of newer vehicles come with a key fob equipped with a button to automatically lock the car as you walk away. While that is a great security feature, most of the cars on the most stolen list do not have that technology. So lock up every time. Park in a well-lit area. Car thieves do not want to be seen when they are working. Parking in a well-lit and high traffic area will prevent your vehicle from being targeted.

If you are willing to spend a little money on theft prevention, consider a warning device. Car thieves will often take a quick look at the vehicle to see if there are any visible anti-theft devices. A steering column locking bar such as 'the club' is a good visible deterrent. Theft deterrent decals warning of an alarm system are useful, as well as audible alarms, brake locks, tire locks or micro dot markings.

If a thief does gain entry to your car and attempts bypassing your ignition, an immobilizing device will prevent the vehicle from being driven away. Some of the newest vehicles on the market are equipped with Smart Keys which have a microchip embedded in them. Until the microchip is present in the ignition, the engine will not start. Others prevent the flow of electricity in the vehicle, making it impossible to start. Further still, there are vehicles which require wireless authentication before the vehicle will start.

A final layer of protection for your vehicle is a GPS tracking device. By emitting a signal, police can locate the exact location of your stolen vehicle and retrieve it. The possibility of a tracking device in your car may deter a thief, but if not, at least your vehicle can be found. Some more sophisticated devices actually alert the owners mobile phone if their vehicle is moved when they are not in it. Being this closely linked to your car can be very valuable, or very annoying depending on the number of people who commonly use it.

Vehicle Cloning is a scam involving the use of counterfeit documents to facilitate the sale of a stolen vehicle. The process is as follows:

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is copied from the legally owned vehicle in a parking lot or car lot

A vehicle is stolen that closely resembles the one in which the stolen VIN belongs to.

The stolen vehicles VIN is replaced with the stolen VIN - making it a 'clone' of the original vehicle sitting in the parking lot or car lot

With the stolen VIN, the vehicle can be sold without government agencies being alerted to the sale of the stolen vehicle (whose VIN has been replaced)

Counterfeit ownership documents are created for the cloned vehicle

So how do you know the car you are purchasing isnt a clone? Just look for the following signs of fraud:

If you are purchasing a used vehicle in the US the insured policyholder appears to have bought the vehicle with Canadian documents

The car was purchased for an extremely low price, out of state and the paperwork does not have the same VIN listed as what is on the vehicle

The seller used a newspaper ad to sell the vehicle and only runs a cell phone number for contact information

The vehicle's speedometer displays kilometers per hour instead of miles per hour

Use common sense, do your homework and protect your vehicle. These are the tools against vehicle theft.

About the Author

At Robert Brogden.com Auto Plaza we have a large inventory of new and used cars kansas city. We are one of the finest Kansas City car dealers as well as offering GM Service and Parts. Visit online for a free test drive.

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