Which Car Makes and Models Are Most Likely to Be Stolen? By Levi Quinn At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

According to NICB officials, older cars often get stolen as parts of these cars become extremely rare and tough to come across in due course of time, of which thieves take full advantage. These vehicle thieves are extremely intelligent as they keep themselves updated with the latest trends and demands in the vehicle market, targeting the most popular vehicles and influencing and indulging in illegal export of stolen vehicle parts. The following is the list of top ten cars stolen:

* 1995 Honda Civic
* 1989 Toyota Camry
* 1991 Honda Accord
* 1994 Dodge Caravan
* 1994 Chevrolet Full Size C/K 1500 Pickup
* 1997 Ford F150 Series
* 2003 Dodge Ram Pickup
* 1990 Acura Integra
* 1988 Toyota Pickup
* 1991 Nissan Sentra

Vehicle Theft and the Impact it has on your Auto Insurance Premium. According to Lou Geremia, president of Insurnace.com, auto insurance rates are determined by companies in relation to the industry’s loss history. Vehicles which are faced with a higher risk of getting stolen thus have higher insurance rates. Many companies however, provide their customers with automatic antitheft devices, which help to cut down on the insurance rates when it comes to these car makes and models.

Tips to Help Guard Your Wheels. The NICB encourages everyone to adopt the ‘layered approach’ and make respective cars less attractive to thieves by maintaining a low profile for cars and not being flashy in general. The four layers of protection are as follows:

Layer #1 - Common Sense. Always leave your car locked, even if you park for a very brief period of time.

Layer #2 - Warning Device. Having audible and visible proofs for your car being well protected is another way of warding off thieves. Popular second layer devices include:

* Audible alarms
* Steering column collars
* Steering wheel/Brake pedal lock
* Brake locks
* Wheel locks
* Tire locks/Tire deflators
* Theft deterrent decals
* Identification markers in or on vehicle
* Window etching
* Laminated glass

Layer #3 - Immobilizing Device. You must try and avail a device which prevents bypass ignition and hot-wiring of the vehicle. While some electronic gadgets function through computer chips in the ignition keys, others prevent the flow of fuel to the engine by virtue of having some secret button. Recommended third layer devices include:

* Smart keys
* Fuse cut-offs
* Kill switches
* Starter, ignition and fuel disablers

Layer # 4 - Tracking Device. Vehicle-tracking device is the best possible tool you can have while trying to battle vehicle thieves. The tracking system sends off signals to the local police station or monitoring station whenever reported stolen. Tracking devices like OnStar always help in the recovery of stolen vehicles.

Take action. If by chance your vehicle does get stolen, you will want to contact your local police department immediately. Make sure to have the following information on hand:

When contacting the police department becomes necessary on account of car makes and models having been stolen, ensure that you have the following information at hand:

* Year, make, model, and color of your car
* Your license plate number
* VIN (Make sure to have your VIN number in a file or secure spot.)
* Approximate time when the car was stolen
* Location where the car was parked
* Names of eye witnesses, if any

Next you will be required to get in touch with your insurance company, which will consider your claim only when you hand over your policy number and details of the incident to your auto insurance agent. When car makes and models are stolen, it usually takes an insurance company about 30 days to settle the stolen vehicle claim.

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