Every year, the Insurance Bureau of Canada releases a list of the most stolen vehicles in Canada. This year holds a bit of a surprise, with the Ford Super Duty getting bumped from the top spot for the first time in three years.
While numbers for 2017 are yet to be released, Statistics Canada reported just under 79,000 motor vehicle thefts in 2016. While the number sounds high, that's 217 per 100,000 residents or 0.217 percent. Theft rates are also declining. In 1996, the number was over 500 per 100,000 residents.
Top spot this year goes to the 2015 Lexus GX460. The luxury off-roader topped the list for the first time. After that, it's Ford pickups. Four-wheel drive F-350s take spots 2-7, as well as ninth. The 2006 F-250 comes in tenth. Another surprise, in eighth spot, was the 2016 Toyota 4Runner.
Last year, Alberta saw the Super Duty take all ten spots. This year, the 2000 Honda Civic coupe adds the only variety, in ninth place.
Ontario saw the Toyota 4Runner in first, second, and ninth. 2016, 2015, and 2014 model years respectively. Unlike Alberta, Ontario thieves like their GM trucks. The 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, 2003 Chevy Avalanche, 2005 Tahoe/Yukon, and 2006 Silverado/Sierra 2500 took third through sixth, with the 2003 Hummer H2 grabbing seventh. No Fords made Ontario's list.
Quebec saw more 4Runners in the top two spots, followed by the four-door 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. Lexus RX crossovers took three of the remaining places on the list. That's actually fewer 4Runner appearances than last year's five.
As with the last few years, the Atlantic provinces saw some of the strangest cars on the list. Like the 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer with all-wheel drive taking top spot. Then it was the 2003 Ram 2500, 2002 Ford Explorer, and 2000 Volkswagen Jetta.
The numbers are based on the frequency of vehicle theft claims for each model and year. IBC doesn't have stats for British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or the territories.
The IBC pointed out to us that in most auto thefts, the car is recovered. Those thefts are normally crimes of opportunity, where one person steals the car because they need a ride. It's then likely used by two or three other people, used by them to commit other crimes. Then the vehicle is dumped, where it is recovered.
The other type of theft, which represents about 40 percent of thefts in Ontario, is from organized crime. Those thefts can mean a number of things for your stolen vehicle. Some are disassembled for parts, which are resold. Some are shipped overseas, where they are resold. But some get their VIN removed, replaced by one from another vehicle that may have been scrapped or was not economical to repair. Those disguised vehicles are then resold to buyers who may one day find out that their new car was actually stolen.
Tips to keep your car where you left it are still simple. Lock your car with the windows up and don't leave it running. Park in well-lit areas. And don't leave valuables in plain sight.
The Canada-wide list is:
1. 2015 LEXUS GX460 4DR AWD SUV
2. 2007 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
3. 2006 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
4. 2005 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
5. 2001 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
6. 2003 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
7. 2004 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
8. 2016 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4DR 4WD SUV
9. 2002 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
10.2006 FORD F250 SD 4WD PU
Atlantic:
1. 2012 MITSUBISHI LANCER 4DR AWD 4D
2. 2003 DODGE RAM 2500 4WD PU
3. 2002 FORD/MERCURY EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEER 4DR 4WD SUV
4. 2000 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 4DR 4D
5. 2006 JEEP WRANGLER 4WD SUV
6. 2009 JEEP COMPASS 4DR 2WD SUV
7. 2009 JEEP PATRIOT 4DR 2WD SUV
8. 2008 NISSAN TITAN 4WD PU
9. 2004 FORD F350 SD 4WD PU
10. 2005 HONDA ELEMENT 4DR 4WD SUV
Ontario:
1. 2016 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4DR 4WD SUV
2. 2015 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4DR 4WD SUV
3. 2006 CHEVROLET/GMC TAHOE/YUKON 4DR 4WD SUV
4. 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 1500 2WD PU
5. 2005 CHEVROLET/GMC TAHOE/YUKON 4DR 4WD SUV
6. 2006 CHEVROLET/GMC SILVERADO/SIERRA 2500 4WD PU
7. 2003 HUMMER H2 4DR AWD SUV
8. 2002 CHEVROLET/GMC TAHOE/YUKON 4DR 4WD SUV
9. 2014 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4DR 4WD SUV
10. 2005 BUICK/CHEV/GMC RAINIER/TRAILBLAZER/ENVOY 4DR 2WD SUV
Quebec:
1. 2016 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4DR 4WD SUV
2. 2015 TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4DR 4WD SUV
3. 2016 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED 4DR 4WD SUV
4. 2013 LEXUS RX350/RX450h 4DR AWD SUV
5. 2015 LEXUS RX350/RX450h 4DR AWD SUV
6. 2003 FORD F250 SD 4WD PU
7. 2015 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED 4DR 4WD SUV
8. 2015 TOYOTA TUNDRA 4WD PU
9. 2014 LEXUS RX350/RX450h 4DR AWD SUV
10. 2010 AUDI A5 QUATTRO 2DR 2D
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