Insurance Bureau of Canada releases data on most stolen cars
By Atiba Nelson, Staff Reporter
If you’re reading this article and have a Ford truck, you may want to check if your vehicle is still there.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) released the ten most stolen cars in Canada list for 2019. The list is based on insurance claim data from virtually all insurance companies in the nation, and has been published annually since 2003.
According to the IBC report, thieves love Ford trucks. Ford pickup trucks dominate the 2019 rankings, taking the first five spots on the list of most stolen cars and comprising 80 percent of the list in total. This is a departure from the 2018 ten most stolen cars list, as Ford trucks made up 90 percent of the list a year ago.
The IBC claim that automobile theft cost citizens roughly $1 billion dollars in legal and administrative costs, including the actual cost to replace the stolen vehicle.
Even though owners of other vehicles may believe they are safe from theft, there is a system designed to inform owners’ of how likely their vehicle is to be stolen. The Canadian Loss Experience Automobile Rating (CLEAR), offers the CLEAR rating system to assess how likely theft is for different makes and models of vehicles.
Although IBC tracks stolen vehicle reports across the country, BC thieves are unique in the cars they steal—or have access to—making the BC vehicles stolen data much different than national data.
The top ten most stolen vehicles in BC (Lower Mainland) report is generated via RCMP data and features a different top vehicle: the Honda Civic. Trucks occupy spots two through five, but Sedans comprise of 30 percent of the list in the Lower Mainland versus 10 percent in the Canadian list.
I.M.P.A.C.T, which stands for Integrated Municipal Provincial Auto Crime Team, operates and manages the Bait Car Program for the Greater Vancouver area—the largest bait car program in North America—and reports that auto theft incidents have decreased by 20 percent from 2017 to 2018 In the Lower Mainland, with 6,294 cars being stolen from owners in the 2018 year—the last year data is available.
The I.M.P.A.C.T. group highlights that owners should be proactive preventing auto crime by removing valuables from vehicles, parking in lit areas, and checking if doors are locked before you leave the car.
BC (RCMP data) vs. Canada (IBC data)
| 2017 | 2019 | |
| Honda Civic and CRX | 1 | Ford 350SD AWD 2007 |
| Ford F Series Trucks | 2 | Ford 350SD AWD 2006 |
| Dodge Trucks | 3 | Ford 350SD AWD 2005 |
| Ford E Series Vans | 4 | Ford 350SD AWD 2004 |
| GMC / Chevy Trucks | 5 | Ford 250SD AWD 2006 |
| Acura Integra | 6 | Ford 350SD AWD 2003 |
| Honda CRV | 7 | Lexus RX350/RX350L/RX450h/RX450hL 4DR AWD 2018 |
| Toyota Corolla | 8 | Ford F250 SD 4WD 2005 |
| Jeep Cherokee / Grand Cherokee | 9 | Ford F350 SD 4AWD 2002 |
| Dodge Caravan | 10 | Honda Civic Si 2DR Coupe 1998 |
