Thieves ride and roll
If you are shopping around for a new car, you may want to pay special attention to the Honda CR-V and Toyota Lexus. They are the top two most stolen cars of the year, and Montreal is the No.1 port for the shipment of stolen vehicles from Canada.
A recent report released by the non-profit anti-insurance fraud agency Équité Association indicated that the Honda CR-V was Canada’s most stolen vehicle for two years in a row. Over 4,000 of them were stolen last year.
Here’s the list of top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada:
| Number | Make/Model | No of Vehicle | Insured No of Thefts | Theft (%) | Type |
| 1 | Honda CR-V | 236,555 | 4,117 | 1.7% | SUV |
| 2 | Lexus RX Series | 34,560 | 2,202 | 6.4% | SUV |
| 3 | Ford F150 Series | 292,127 | 1,182 | 0.4% | PU |
| 4 | Honda Civic | 263,958 | 768 | 0.3% | Car |
| 5 | Toyota Highlander | 64,893 | 748 | 1.2% | SUV |
| 6 | Ram 1500 Series | 295,341 | 509 | 0.2% | PU |
| 7 | Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierra 1500 | 71,078 | 410 | 0.6% | PU |
| 8 | Honda Accord | 28,692 | 372 | 1.3% | Car |
| 9 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 85,528 | 346 | 0.4% | SUV |
| 10 | Toyota RAV4 | 217,006 | 334 | 0.2% | SUV |
Contains data licensed by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
According to the report, Toronto and Montreal are the main hubs of auto thefts in Canada. Those behind the annual study say crime rings are stealing an increasing number of vehicles with the goal of exporting them internationally.
Montreal is the “principal” shipment port for stolen vehicles. “Not only does auto theft cost Canadians millions of dollars each year, the proceeds of this illegal activity also fund organized crime and terrorism, both domestically and internationally,” Bryan Gast, vice-president of investigative services at Équité Association, said in a news release.
Car thieves are finding a way to get around anti-theft technology. They do so through relay attacks, also known as keyless thefts, which use devices to amplify the signal emitted from a key fob inside a home, allowing them to start the vehicle’s engine.
Another tactic is cloning a vehicle’s key using an on-board diagnostic port.
Still looking to buy a new vehicle? The thieves are looking too. Now you know!
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