The most-stolen cars of 2013 aren't the high-end luxury vehicles you might suspect. They're Honda Accords or Civics and older models without sophisticated anti-theft feautures.
The National Insurance Crime Board (NCIB)
released its annual crime stats on Monday, and the Accord and Civic top the chart with roughly 50,000 thefts each. The Chevy Silverado, Ford F-Series, Toyota Camry and Corolla, Dodge Ram and Caravan, Jeep Cherokee, and Nissan Altima round out the top ten.
The NCIB said that it was mostly older models of the vehicles that are usually stolen, as carmakers have developed better anti-theft technologies since the nation's peak year for stolen cars, 1991.
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In explaining why Honda takes the top spots, spokeswoman Robyn Eagles said it is because their cars last so long.
"There are more older Honda on the road than many other brands, and the technology prior to 1997 made it easier to steal cars," she said.
In 1998, the Japanese automaker introduced transponder or "smart" ignition keys that had a microchip inside of them. The transponders are hard for most small-time criminals to replicate, and police across the nation saw car thefts decline with each manufacturer's introduction of the technology. Over the long run, the FBI reported that car thefts have dropped by half since 1991, to under 700,000 units.
Forbes noted that older cars are often slim-jimmed and hot-wired by thieves, and taken to so-called chop shops where they are broken down and sold off in parts.
For those worried about car theft, the NCIB recommends three different classes of device, which can be used in any combination: a warning device, immobilizing device, and tracking device.
A warning device is usually classified as any type of alarm system, which includes deterrent alarms, as well as systems that can tell owners which doors are being opened and closed. Immobilizing devices include the popular "club" mechanism that fits onto the steering wheel, as well as fuel cut-off switches, and smart keys.
Lastly, with the advancement of GPS technology, these days police are often able to locate stolen vehicles equipped with either native or after-market tracking devices, which allow for remote monitoring of a vehicle's location from a computer.
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