Old though they may be, 1990s vintage Hondas pack a powerful allure when it comes to auto thieves, an insurance crime bureau survey says.
The 1994 Honda Accord and 1995 Honda Civic rank first and second, respectively, as the most stolen vehicles in the U.S., according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s Hot Wheels 2010 auto theft report.
This despite data showing vehicle thefts in 2009 dropped 17.1 percent, the sixth consecutive annual decline and the biggest one-year drop in a decade, the survey said.
Half the 10 most stolen autos are Japanese makes. Domestic makes – mostly pickups and SUVs – comprise the other half.
The 1991 Toyota Camry was No. 3, followed at No. 4 by the 1997 Ford F-150 pickup; No. 5, 2004 Dodge Ram pickup; No. 6, 2000 Dodge Caravan; No. 7, 1994 Chevy full-size pickup; No. 8, 1994 Acura Integra; No. 9, 2002 Ford Explorer; and No. 10, 2009 Toyota Corolla. Acura is Honda’s near-luxury brand.
“As our Hot Wheels report shows, many of these thefts end up in chop shops where they are turned into replacement parts,” said crime bureau CEO Joe Wehrle.
