A car is stolen every 27 seconds.

According to The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the top ten most stolen vehicles in the United States by make, model, and model year for year 2004 were:

Top Ten Stolen Cars: 2004

1. 1995 Honda Civic
2. 1989 Toyota Camry
3. 1991 Honda Accord
4. 1994 Dodge Caravan
5. 1994 Chevrolet Full Size C/K 1500 Pickup
6. 1997 Ford F150 Series
7. 2003 Dodge Ram Pickup
8. 1990 Acura Integra
9. 1988 Toyota Pickup
10. 1991 Nissan Sentra

You can also search/ view the Top 10 Stolen Vehicles listed by state.

For auto theft protection, the NICB encourages the following simple, low-cost suggestions to make you vehicles less attractive to thieves.

Common Sense:
The cheapest form of defense is to simply employ the anti-theft devices that are standard on all vehicles: locks. Lock your car and take your keys.

Warning Device:
Having and using a visible or audible warning device is another item that can ensure that your car remains where you left it.

Immobilizing Device:
“Kill” switches, fuel cut-offs, and smart keys are among the devices which are high and low tech, but extremely effective. Generally speaking, if your car won’t start, it won’t get stolen.

Tracking Device:
On the higher end of high tech are the newer devices which can alert you—and law enforcement—the moment an unauthorized user moves your vehicle.

Interesting that I don’t see even one BMW on the list. I guess this could be a good thing, or a bad thing. Just goes to show, the thieves might be making money — but they have no appreciation or taste for fine German engineering.