The 10 Most Stolen Cars In America: Report

DETROIT, MI — If you’re driving a 1997 or 1998 Honda Accord or Civic, you’re at greater risk than owners of newer models to have your car stolen, according to the annual “Hot Wheels” report released Thursday. The National Insurance Crime Bureau report shows the top 25 vehicle makes and models that were reported stolen in calendar year 2016.

Of the 50,427 Honda Accords reported stolen last year, 7,527 were from model year 1997. The No. 2 used car stolen was Honda’s 1998 Civic. Of the 49,547 Civics stolen last year, 7,578 were 1998 models.

Though Honda Accords and Civics dominate the annual list, they are older, pre-smart key production models, the NICB said. However, since the introduction of smart keys and other anti-theft technology, Honda thefts have fallen precipitously. Among the top 25 most stolen 2016 model year vehicles, there were only 493 thefts of Accords last year. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Detroit Patch, and click here to find your local Michigan Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Technology is working, but complacency can defeat it, NICB said. Thefts are down dramatically since their all-time high in 1992, but thousands of vehicles continue to be stolen each year because owners leave their keys or fobs in the vehicles, and that invites theft.

Here are the top 10 most stolen models in 2016.

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