Insurance Bureau of Canada Lists Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has published its annual Top 10 Most Frequently Stolen Vehicles list. Once again, Ford trucks and expensive SUVs figure prominently. However, this year, organized criminals have taken a different approach hoping to avoid being detected and caught when exporting the stolen vehicles.

“We are seeing containers in the Montreal and Halifax ports stocked with car and truck parts,” said Rick Dubin, vice-president, Investigative Services, IBC. “Crooks are trying to fool Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and IBC by dismantling high-end, late-model vehicles. CBSA and IBC have seized 41 of these vehicles that had been dismantled.”

Dubin went on to say, “Together, CBSA and IBC have recovered over $10 million in stolen vehicles at the ports this year alone.”

While there has been a decline in auto theft over the last decade, there has been an uptick in auto theft in 2014. “Stolen vehicles are up 1 percent to 73,964 across Canada, with the biggest increases in B.C. (up 29 percent) and Alberta (up 2 percent),” added Dubin.

This year’s 10 most frequently stolen vehicles in Canada are:

1. FORD F350 SD 4WD PU 2005
2. FORD F350 SD 4WD PU 2006
3. FORD F350 SD 4WD PU 2007
4. CADILLAC ESCALADE 4DR 4WD SUV 2006
5. FORD F350 SD 4WD PU 2003
6. FORD F250 SD 4WD PU 2006
7. FORD F350 SD 4WD PU 2001
8. FORD F250 SD 4WD PU 2004
9. FORD F250 SD 4WD PU 2007
10. FORD F250 SD 4WD PU 2001

According to Dubin, “None of the top 10 stolen vehicles are equipped with an electronic manufacturer immobilizer as a theft deterrent system, so they are easier to steal. We also see from this list that criminals continue to have a huge demand for AWD/4WD late model high-end vehicles.”

Car thieves not only steal your vehicle and the valuables in it, they may steal your identity through your ownership and insurance documents. In 2014, there were 12,729 cases of identity theft in Canada, an increase of 8%.

Thieves may also alter or remove the vehicle identification number (VIN) on a vehicle in an attempt to sell a stolen vehicle to unsuspecting consumers. If you are buying a used vehicle, be aware that it may be a stolen vehicle that has a fraudulent or tampered-with VIN. Consumers can always have a reputable mechanic check the vehicle and should run a vehicle history through CARFAX or CarProof to verify the vehicle’s history.
Source: IBC