Escalade is prize catch for thieves, report says

By Earle Eldridge
USA Today

The Cadillac Escalade, "the vehicle of choice" for a lot of celebrities, is also the preference of thieves. It has the highest rate of theft of any vehicle on the road, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. General Motors via Associated Press

Escalade had the highest theft claims per 1,000 insured vehicles for the 2000 to 2002 model years, according to a report out today by the Highway Loss Data Institute, a research arm of the insurance industry. Its theft frequency of 10.3 per 1,000 insured vehicles is four times the average for all vehicles.

Escalade, one of the best-selling luxury SUVs, replaced Acura Integra at the top of the list.

Escalade "is a vehicle of choice for a lot of celebrities," says Kim Hazelbaker of the institute. "It has become a pop culture vehicle. And it has an incredible wheel-and-tire package that is popular with thieves."

The $50,000-plus Escalade has been glamorized in rap songs and music videos. And it's the vehicle of choice among professional football and basketball players.

Police agencies report sometimes-violent carjackings of Cadillac Escalades.

Thieves don't seem deterred by the Escalade's OnStar system, which can track a vehicle through satellite and cell-phone technology. General Motors says it gets 400 to 500 vehicle tracking requests a month, and most are recovered. It had no numbers on Escalades recovered.

Escalades also have an engine-immobilizer antitheft device, requiring a key embedded with the proper computer chip to start the engine.

GM blames the theft rate on the Escalade's popularity.

"Theft patterns follow the market trends," says Kerry Christopher, Cadillac spokesman.

Popularity doesn't seem to explain No. 2 and No. 3 on the list — Dodge Stratus and Mitsubishi Mirage. Neither vehicle is a big seller.