When buying a vehicle you often think about maintenance costs, fuel consumption, and even the cost of car insurance.  But one thing you may not consider is how likely that vehicle is to be stolen.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released a new report that looks at thefts of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and cross-over utility vehicles (CUVs) between Jan 1st, 2008 and June 30th, 2012.  The data was also filtered to produce thefts for 2009, 2010, and 2011 model year vehicles only.  There were 19,961 vehicles that fit those parameters stolen during the 4 1/2 year period.

The top five makes and models stolen during the period were: 

 

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[counter_box value=”1014″ unit=”” unit_pos=”suffix” icon=”” direction=”up”]Ford Escape[/counter_box]
[counter_box value=”856″ unit=”” unit_pos=”suffix” icon=”” direction=”up”]Chevrolet Tahoe[/counter_box]
[counter_box value=”801″ unit=”” unit_pos=”suffix” icon=”” direction=”up”]Toyota Rav4[/counter_box]
[counter_box value=”739″ unit=”” unit_pos=”suffix” icon=”” direction=”up”]Ford Edge[/counter_box]
[counter_box value=”721″ unit=”” unit_pos=”suffix” icon=”” direction=”up”]Dodge Journey[/counter_box]
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In terms of class, entry-level CUVs reported the most thefts with 6,357. Mid-range CUVs came in second with 3,560, followed by large SUVs with 2,454.  By region, California was a theft hot-bed with 3,003 thefts.  Texas followed in a distant 2nd with 1,826 and Florida rounded out the top three with 1,784.  By comparison, our home state of Iowa came in 39th with 94 thefts in the 4 1/2 year period.

These findings may seem a little surprising.  Some news reports in recent years have erroneously named the Cadillac Escalade as the “most stolen” vehicle. In fact, based on data going back to 2005, the Cadillac Escalade never attained a ranking higher than No. 11 of the top 25 makes and models stolen each year.

If your car is stolen the comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy will kick in.  If your car made the top five. you may want to confirm you have this coverage on your policy.  Ask your agent how it will help you in the event you walk out to find your car missing!

Photo Credit: Brian Drew | License