Although this might sound weird, thieves have favorite cars too. Models like the Honda Accord and Honda Civic appear way to many times in the lists of stolen vehicles to be just a coincidence.
In the United States, the problem it’s still pretty serious, many ancient cars lack modern protection, and their pieces are worth a good amount of money in the black market.
The most stolen cars in the United States
The Honda Accord it’s very common on the streets, and the more there are, the better the opportunity is for thieves. Also, many pieces from Honda cars are actually compatible between different models and years, so selling stolen pieces gets easier and profitable at the black market. Most of the stolen cars are old versions (especially from the 90’s and early 2000’s) because they don’t come with electronic immobilizer or modern system that would make the robbery difficult. Thus, the car theft is quick: with simple tools they can turn them on , or disassemble them in a short time.
In the last few years, several Hyundai and Kia models (especially from around 2010) went up in the car theft statistics. This happened because some of this cars had a failure in the anti-theft system or were missing the electronic immobilizer, and those failures went viral on social media showing how easy it was to steal them.
The result was that indeed, people stole a lot of them in the U.S. Insurances and even the FBI was warning about it. Some brands responded his updates and solutions, but for those who were left without a car, it was probably too late.
Technology and tricks to protect your car
New cars, particularly electric cars, have more advanced protection. Today, automotive security includes systems that are able to block the engine, or GPS locators and digital authentication that make stealing much more difficult.
But not everyone has a new car, so if you have a vulnerable model, there are some things yo can do to help: install modern alarms, a steering wheel lock, a GPS tracker, or even a case or anti-theft screws for the wheels. All of these precautions are not 100% infallible, but they can complicate a big more the thieves life and reduce the probability of being a victim of car theft.
Because of the increase of robberies in some models, the FBI and the vehicle insurers have been circling information and warning about the situation. Furthermore, insurances have also raised their prices and conditions in zones considered more dangerous because there has been to many robbery records; in the other hand, they have in some cases, offered discounts for those who want to install security system.
Fighting car theft with preventions
A car that’s popular is not necessarily “bad” but it is somehow, a better target for crime.
The Honda Accord, Honda Civic and some Hyundai and Kia are demonstrating it just by being the unlucky ones at the top 5 stolen cars in the U.S. in the recent years.
However, there’s always a good side, and in this case is that, even though thieves improves their tricks, technology advances too, and with it, many new solutions to protect your car, even if it’s an old model.
Nobody buys a car thinking “I might get it stolen,” but the possibility—although it can be small—it’s still there; so if you’ve gotten your way to get a car, ensure it. It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not to have it. The industry is trying to stop it with the newest models but with a little prevention you can avoid it too.