Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) released its annual list of the most frequently stolen vehicles today. While a Honda Civic held on to the top spot, the appearance of high-end models like the Cadillac Escalade on the list reflects the increasing involvement of organized crime in auto theft.
The top ten stolen vehicles are:
2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV 4-door AWD
1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
2006 Chevrolet/GMC Trailblazer SS 4-door 4WD
2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT 4-door AWD
2005 Cadillac Escalade ESV 4-door AWD
1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder 2-door
2000 Audi S4 Quattro 4-door
2006 Hummer H2 4-door AWD
2005 Cadillac Escalade 4-door 4WD
"We're seeing two very different forms of auto theft, "One type of thief is just looking for a car that's easy to steal, with no approved anti-theft electronic immobilizer, which can be used for transportation, stripped for parts or used to commit other crimes. The other type of thief goes after newer, high-end vehicles. Although these are harder to steal, sophisticated organized crime rings can make a strong profit by shipping them overseas, chopping them for parts, or changing their vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and selling them to unsuspecting consumers."
• In 2008, auto theft cost Canadian insurers $465 million, which averages out to about $30 per auto insurance policy.
• In 2009, IBC investigators working in partnership with law enforcement stopped 300 stolen vehicles from leaving Canadian ports and repatriated 72 vehicles from abroad, with a total value of approximately $11 million.
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