The two most commonly stolen vehicles in 2020 were Ford’s F-Series pickups followed closely by the Chevrolet Silverado. Between them, more than 84,000 units were stolen in America in 2020.
The figures come from the National Insurance Crime Bureau‘s (NICB) whih uses vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to compile its annual “Hot Wheels” auto theft report. And what it found out was that automotive thefts rose a lot last year.
“Auto thefts saw a dramatic increase in 2020 versus 2019 in part due to the pandemic, an economic downturn, law enforcement realignment, depleted social and schooling programs, and, in still too many cases, owner complacency,” said David Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB. “For many people, a car is the second largest investment they will ever make behind a home. No matter what kind of vehicle you have, take steps to protect your investment – lock your car and take your keys.”
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Although thefts were up across the board among the top 10 most stolen vehicles in 2020, the two pickups, along with GMC’s full-size pickups and the Honda CR-V, were the only vehicles with double-digit increases in the rate at which they were purloined.
The Silverado saw the greatest increase in thefts in the top 10 with a 25.7 percent increase compared to 2019. Although that’s a big increase, the Ford F-Series’ rate of theft was already high and this is the truck’s second year in a row that it is holding the top spot on the NICB rankings.
While it’s perhaps not entirely surprising that some of the most stolen vehicles on the road are some of the best-selling, in 2020 thieves also had an affinity for Japanese sedans. The Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, and Nissan Altima all made the top 10 list in 2020, albeit mostly in much smaller numbers than the top two vehicles.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Honda CR-V was the only crossover or SUV in the top 10, despite the market’s well-reported ascendance in the sales charts.