Car thieves, in Houston and everywhere else, have a tendency to target certain makes and models of vehicles, with variations of their preferences shifting somewhat dependent on the city in which they commit the crime. Generally speaking, car thieves are mostly concerned with speed; both the speed of the theft itself and that of making a profit on the stolen vehicle. One of the best ways to avoid having your car stolen as a driver in Houston is to not buy a car thieves are likely to want. If you already do own one of the most stolen cars in Houston, knowing that statistic can help you stay vigilant and deter thieves with smart driving and parking habits.
Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Pickup Trucks
At the top of Houston’s list of most stolen vehicles, and a substantial portion of every other major city’s list, are Ford F-Series and Chevrolet pickup trucks. Car thieves target Ford and Chevrolet trucks for a few important reasons. The first is that the resale value of these pickup trucks is high, both as entire vehicles and as individual parts. A car thief can steal your truck, have it broken down into sellable parts, and start making a profit from their crime quickly and easily. Another attractive quality to thieves is the truck bed itself, which can be loaded with tools, equipment and other valuable items that can be sold. Pickup trucks in general are stolen more often than sedans, vans and sports car, with those from Ford and Chevrolet being the most commonly stolen trucks overall. To make your Ford or Chevrolet pickup truck less appealing to potential thieves, take simple smart precautions. First, do not leave anything visible in the bed of your truck that would get the attention of a criminal. Secondly, take advantage of anti-theft technology like GPS tracking, alarm systems and ignition fuel kill-switches to make your car harder to steal.
Honda Civics & Accords, Toyota Camry
Believe it or not, Honda Civics and Accords built before 1997 are another of the most stolen cars in Houston, Texas. Older model Toyota Camry sedans are also among the most stolen cars in Houston. Car thieves love these older model Hondas due to a change made to the ignitions in 1998 that somehow made the two popular sedans harder to start without the actual ignition key. The ignition technology present in Civics and Accords before 1997 was, according to car thieves, faster and easier to get started surreptitiously. Toyota Camry sedans made before the same time period also have less of the modernized anti-theft technology present in newer cars. Another reason so many older model Honda and Toyota sedans are stolen is that there are simply more of them on the road in Houston, and in a number of other major American cities. The popularity, durability and affordability of the Camry, Accord and Civic mean there are more of those available to car thieves than any other kind of sedan, which mathematically makes them more likely to be stolen. Making sure your car is locked, valuables are out of sight, and is parked responsibly will help you protect your Honda or Toyota sedan from being the target of a car thief.
Even if your car isn’t one of the specific makes and models most commonly stolen in Houston, not paying attention to how you leave your car can make it the target of a quick moving car thief. Whether you drive a Ford pickup, Honda sedan or any other vehicle, you should be taking the time to secure your vehicle, and the belongings kept inside of it, whenever it is going to be out of your sight.
