Posted at 9:57 a.m., Tuesday, December 11, 2001

Camry, Accord still most stolen vehicles

Associated Press

DETROIT — The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord remained the most popular targets of car thieves last year as auto theft in the United States rose for the first time in a decade, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The list of most stolen vehicles released today contains a mix of passenger cars and sport utility vehicles. Six of the 10 are from U.S. automakers, although the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord occupy the top two spots.

They are followed by the Oldsmobile Cutlass, Honda Civic, Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet full-size C/K pickup, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Caprice, Ford Taurus and Ford F-150 pickup.

The F-150 reappeared on the list this year after dropping off in 1999. It replaces the Chevrolet Cavalier, the 10th most-stolen car in 1999.

"The study confirms that thieves target a wide range of popular passenger vehicle models," said Robert Bryant, president and chief executive officer of the Arlington, Va.-based nonprofit group.

"Thieves typically choose these vehicles because of their huge profit potential when the cars are stripped down to their components, which then supply a vast black market for stolen parts."

The study also showed differences by metropolitan area. American cars were more attractive to thieves in Chicago, while pickups were more frequently stolen in Dallas. Los Angeles thieves preferred Japanese models, the NICB said.

Auto thefts nationwide increased 1.2 percent from 1999 to 2000. The 1999 figure was 8 percent less than the year before, and the lowest since 1985.

There were 1,165,559 auto thefts in 2000, and 1,152,057 in 1999, the NICB cited from FBI statistics.

"The troubling 2000 statistics indicate we need to commit more resources to address this problem and help prevent this increase from becoming a trend," Bryant said.

He suggested the reason for the uptick was a slowing U.S. economy, reassignment of law enforcement officers from auto theft and international borders that make it difficult to monitor stolen vehicles.

The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord also held 17 of the top 25 spots in a ranking of 2000 vehicle thefts by CCC Information Services Inc., an insurance industry tracker.

The 1989 Camry led the way for the fourth year in a row, followed by 1990, 1991 and 1988 versions. Honda's 1994, 1996, 1990 and 1995 Accords placed in the top 10.

Reflecting thieves' growing appetite for trucks, the 1994 Chevrolet C1500 4x2 pickup placed seventh — up four — while the 1997 Ford F-150 4x2 pickup was ninth.