Older cars popular with Ohio thieves
Older vehicles continue to be more popular with car thieves in Ohio, but not so much nationally.
The top vehicles stolen last year in Ohio were the 2002 Dodge Caravan followed by two full-size pickup trucks, the 2005 Chevrolet and the 2004 Ford, according to an National Insurance Crime Bureau report released Tuesday.
The Dodge Caravan is typically at or near the top of the Ohio list in any given year.
The newest vehicle on the top 10 vehicles stolen in Ohio last year is from 2007 — the Toyota Camry, coming in at No. 9.
By comparison, three of the top 10 vehicles stolen nationally were models from 2015 and ‘16 — the 2016 Toyota Camry at No. 5, the 2015 Nissan Altima at No. 6 and the 2015 Toyota Corolla at No. 8.
Older vehicles tend to dominate the most-stolen list because they aren’t equipped with the antitheft technology found on newer models. However, the fact that newer models are
starting to creep onto the list is frustrating to bureau officials.
“A lot of these people are leaving their keys or fobs in the cars. You can have Fort Knox technology, but if you forget to lock it, what good is it?” said Frank Scafidi, a bureau spokesman.
Another reason that newer models are showing up on the list is that older models are gradually being removed from the nation’s fleet.
Nationally, the two most stolen models were the 1997 Honda Accord and 1998 Honda Civic. Those are the only models on the list from the 1990s.
Accords, Civics and Camrys have dominated the national list in the 22 years that the bureau has compiled it, reflecting their popularity among car buyers.
For Ohio, this year’s list does not include any models from the 1990s, the first time
Top stolen vehicles in the U. S. in 2016 1. 1997 Honda Accord 2. 1998 Honda Civic 3. 2006 Ford pickup ( full size) 4. 2004 Chevrolet pickup ( full size) 5. 2016 Toyota Camry 6. 2015 Nissan Altima 7. 2001 Dodge Pickup ( full size) 8. 2015 Toyota Corolla 9. 2008 Chevrolet Impala 10. 2000 Jeep Cherokee/ Grand Cherokee that has happened.