Millions of Americans love the Honda Accord. And so do car thieves. In fact, over 50,000 Accords were stolen last year - some right here in the Jamestown area.
Why does this model rank high on the list of most-stolen cars year after year? It seems the Accord is a victim of its own popularity. (This also applies to another frequently-stolen Honda, the Civic.) The perennial popularity of the Accord impacts theft rates in at least three ways:
1. The sheer number of Accords on the road compared to other cars delivers relatively more opportunity for theft. It is unclear just how many Accords are in use, but according to Honda spokesman Chris Naughton, over the last 30 years, Honda has manufactured over 10 million Accords in the country.1
2. Professional automobile thieves can earn a much greater return if a stolen vehicle is dismantled and sold for parts.
"Thieves can get up to three times the value of the vehicle if they sell it for parts," Patrick Clancy, Vice President of Law Enforcement for LoJack Corporation, an auto tracking and recovery firm. 2
3. Because it has been a hot item (pun intended) for many years, there is a significant demand for parts to keep used Hondas running.
Due to these elements, the Accord and Civic will probably continue to be favorites of auto thieves for many years to come. Here is the most recent list of the most-stolen used cars (2015):3
- Honda Accord
- Honda Civic
- Ford Pickup
- Chevrolet Pickup
- Toyota Camry
- Dodge Pickup
- Toyota Corolla
- Nissan Altima
- Dodge Caravan
- Chevrolet Impala
Regardless of the type of automobile you drive, the team at I-86 Truck & Auto Repair will treat you right. And we sincerely hope you are never the victim of a car theft. Future I-86 Truck & Auto Repair s will address theft prevention, warning and tracking devices, and VIN cloning.
Sources:
1Susanna Kim, "Why the Honda Accord is the Most Stolen Vehicle," ABC News, May 27, 2014, http://abcnews.go.com/Business/honda-accord-stolen-vehicle/story?id=23883693, accessed February 25, 2017
2LoJack Releases Fifth Annual Vehicle Theft Recovery Report," LoJack, May 15, 2014, http://www.lojack.com/About-LoJack/News-and-Media/Press-Releases/2014/LoJack-Releases-Fifth-Annual-Vehicle-Theft-Recover, accessed February 25, 2017
3"2015 Top 10 Vehicle Make/Model Thefts," NICB, https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/top-vehicles-stolen-by-state#States, accessed February 25, 2017