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Saturn tops car theft list
Survey: 1995 SL a favorite among auto thieves.
May 25, 2004: 2:28 PM EDT
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN/Money staff writer

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Auto thieves stole one of every 200 1995 Saturn SLs on the road last year, according to a report by the insurance technology firm CCC Information Services, making that car the nation's most-stolen vehicle.

1995 Saturn SL  
1995 Saturn SL

In the past, the popular Toyota Camry and Honda Accord have topped such surveys, including those by CCC. This year, however, CCC adjusted the actual number of vehicles stolen by the number of each vehicle registered, as reported by R.L. Polk & Co.

Given the relatively low number of 1995 Saturn SLs registered compared to more-often-stolen Accords and Camrys, the Saturn rose to the top as a car-thief favorite during 2003.

Of the top eight most-stolen vehicles, six are Acura Integras. Acura, the luxury division of Honda, was the most stolen brand of car, overall.

The most-stolen Acuras on the list are from consecutive model years, 1994 through 1999, as are the two Saturn SLs, 1994 and 1995.

Most stealable cars
Compared to numbers of vehicles registered, these cars are most likely to be stolen.
 Model year Make Model 
1995 Saturn SL 
1998 Acura Integra 
1994 Saturn SL 
1999 Acura Integra 
1995 Acura Integra 
1997 Acura Integra 
1996 Acura Integra 
1994 Acura Integra 
2002 Mitsubishi Montero 
10 2000 Honda Civic 
 Source:  CCC Information Services

"Some manufactures retain the same part-type from model year to model year, so a part from a 1993 model may fit a car manufactured three years later," said Mary Jo Prigge, CCC's president of sales and service. "This practice may lead to the 'clustering' phenomenon."

Saturn has added anti-theft technology to their cars since the 1995 model year, said a spokesperson for the General Motors brand. A spokesperson for Honda made the same point regarding Acura cars. Saturn no longer makes a car called the SL and Acura no longer makes a car called the Integra.

The most-stolen type of vehicle was heavy-duty wagons, such as the Chevrolet Suburban. The second-most stolen type was full-size sport utility vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade.  Top of page




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