This year's Hot Wheels report is out. The annual report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau details the 10 most stolen vehicles in the U.S.
The data comes from information submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
According to the FBI, 748,841 vehicles were reported stolen in the U.S. in 2018, which is a 3% decline from 2017. It's about a million less than the high-water mark of 1.7 million thefts in 1991.
The top 10 cars stolen in 2018 were:
- 2000 Honda Civic: 5,290 (38,426 Civics from all model years were stolen in 2018)
- 1997 Honda Accord: 5,029 (36,815)
- 2006 Ford Pickup (Full Size): 3,173 (36,355)
- 2004 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size): 2,097 (31,566)
- 2017 Toyota Camry: 1,144 (16,906)
- 2017 Nissan Altima: 1,451 (13,284)
- 2017 Toyota Corolla: 1,034 (12,388)
- 2018 GMC Pickup (Full Size): 1,170 (11,708)
- 2001 Dodge/Ram Pickup (Full Size): 1,155 (11,226)
- 2000 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee: 646 (9,818)
According to the Insurance Information Institute, motor vehicle theft in 2018 accounted for about $6 billion in losses.
The NICB recommends car owners use four "layers of protection" to guard against vehicle theft. Some seem a little over the top, like kills switches and tracking devices.
However, according to the NICB, the easiest and most cost-effective way to thwart would-be thieves is common sense. Take your keys and lock your doors, in that order.