The most common misconception that people have about car theft is that flashy sports cars tend to be frequent targets. Although more than one out of every 10 Corvettes sold over the past three decade is said have been stolen at least once, for sheer pilfering popularity, thieves normally go for the old family car.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reviewed vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center during 2001 to come up with the following list of the 10 most-stolen vehicles of 2011:

 

 

 

1. 1994 Honda Accord midsize
2. 1998 Honda Civic compact
3. 2006 Ford F-150 pick up
4. 1991 Toyota Camry midsize
5. 2000 Dodge Caravan minivan
6. 1994 Acura Integra concept
7. 1999 Chevrolet Silverado pickup
8. 2004 Dodge Ram pickup
9. 2002 Ford Explorer SUV
10. 1994 Nissan Sentra compact

Vehicles such as the ones listed above are more likely to be brought to a “chop shop” immediately after being stolen than being sold whole with swapped identification number, like late-model sports and luxury cars would be. The NCIB suggests vehicle owners to use common sense when leaving their cars unattended, for example, always lock the vehicle, take the keys with you, and park in a well-lit space. If you have the ability to, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have an alarm and vehicle immobilizer installed, which is basically a hidden “kill switch”, to help deter thieves and/or purchase a vehicle tracking system to help law enforcement officials locates your car in the event if does become stolen.