Ohio thieves target these vehicles more than any other

The National Insurance Crime Bureau has released its annual “Hot Wheels” report, identifying the 10 most stolen vehicles in the United States — and in Ohio.

The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center and determines the vehicle make, model and model year most reported stolen in 2017.

According to the report, the most stolen vehicles in the state of Ohio include:

  • 2002 full-size Chevrolet pickup truck
  • 2004 full-size Ford pickup
  • 2003 Honda Accord
  • 2006 Chevrolet Impala
  • 2015 Honda Civic
  • 2003 Dodge Caravan
  • 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  • 2007 Toyota Camry
  • 2000 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
  • And the 2010 Toyota Corolla.

Late ’90s models Honda Accords and Civics were listed as the most stolen vehicles nationally in any year. For the 2017 model year, the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry were the top two stolen models nationally.

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Technology can help defeat thieves, but that only goes so far, the report said.

“Even with the slight increases in the last few years, the national vehicle theft problem today is at levels not seen since 1967,” the report said. “Enhancements in vehicle security and manufacturing are having a positive impact, but complacency can undermine their success. Thousands of vehicles continue to be stolen each year because owners leave their keys or fobs in the vehicles, and that invites theft.”

Deterring thieves isn’t that hard. Lock your car and take your keys with you, the report advises. Use audible warning or immobilizing devices, including “smart keys.” And tracking devices emit a signal to the police or to a monitoring station when the vehicle is stolen.

“Tracking devices are very effective in helping authorities recover stolen vehicles,” the Hot Wheels report said. “Some systems employ ‘telematics,’ which combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle. If the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner and the vehicle can be tracked via computer.”

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