Top 10 Most Stolen Cars

Automobile theft is much more than an insurance problem; it's an expensive social menace. Every year, automobile theft costs Canadians close to $1 billion, including $542 million for insurers to fix or replace stolen cars, $250 million in police, health-care and court-system costs and millions more for correctional services.

Every year, IBC publishes a list called “The Top 10 Most Stolen Cars.” See if your car is a potential target.

How often your make and model of car is stolen is one of the factors insurers use to set your insurance premium. It’s a good idea to check out these lists, as well as the publication .

Thieves generally steal cars for one of four reasons:

1. For sale abroad - Stolen cars are often immediately packed – with their vehicle identification numbers (VINs) still intact – and shipped abroad, where they are sold for many times their original market value.

2. For sale to unsuspecting consumers – Stolen cars may be given a new identity with false VINs, and then sold to unsuspecting consumers. They can also be dismantled and sold for parts.

3. To get somewhere – This is commonly, but inappropriately, referred to as “joyriding.” Auto theft of any kind is still a crime, and innocent people do get hurt or killed as a result.

4. To commit another crime – Stolen cars used to commit other crimes are often recovered – abandoned and badly damaged – within 48 hours of their theft.