Top 10 Stolen Cars in Canada

You might be surprised at which cars are most frequently stolen in Canada. Topping the list is not your super-luxury sports car – those are probably too well protected.

It doesn't matter that they're well beyond their best-before date in car years, if you own an aging Honda Civic or Acura, yours is probably on the list of models car thieves and shady parts dealers look out for. (Toyotas, Fords, Cadillac, Chevrolet and even a Pontiac model all make the list this year too.)

The Insurance Bureau of Canada released its annual list this week. Interestingly, they say stolen cars are now showing up more frequently in the local market – they're not necessarily being exported out of the country. Oftentimes, they say the cars are being re-sold to unsuspecting customers.

Liked this article? Don't miss another one. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook.The insurance industry tracks theft claims for all models, including how much each claim costs and how often the cars are stolen.

For 2010, the top 10 most frequently stolen cars in Canada are:

1. 2009 Toyota Venza 4-door
2. 1999 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
3. 2000 Honda Civic SiR 2-door
4. 2006 Ford F350 Pickup Truck 4WD
5. 2002 Cadillac Escalade EXT 4-door AWD
6. 2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS 4-door 4WD
7. 2007 Ford F350 Pickup Truck 4WD
8. 2001 Pontiac Aztek 4-door AWD
9. 1998 Acura Integra 2-door
10. 1999 Acura Integra 2-door


Personally, I was pretty surprised by some of the names on this list. The Toyota Venza I can understand. This particular cross-over was once called a "Lexus in Toyota clothing" by Wheels.ca. Not only does it top the list of most frequently stolen cars, IBC says it is also tops the list of most expensive claims as well.

Moving on, some of the other names on the IBC list were more baffling. I mean, who would want to steal a 12-year-old Honda? (In past years, the 1999 and 2000 Honda Civics actually took first place overall in this category.)

"There are a few reasons for it," says Rick Dubin, vice-president of investigative services at IBC. The first, he says, is the sheer number of Honda Civics still out on the road today. Second, he says the '99 and 2000 models do not have an electronic immobilizer. (On this list, only the Toyota Venza and the 2007 Ford pickup trucks have an onboard electronic theft deterrent system. He says these models make the list primarily because people leave their cars - or trucks - unattended.)

As for the rest, talking about the Hondas in particular, he says, quite simply that they're easy to steal.

"Because it's an older vehicle (and because there are so many of them) the parts are also in high demand," he adds. "They sell for a lot of money. Secondly, we don't support this, we don't even like it, but a lot of individuals buy these vehicles to convert and modify for street racing. A lot of them are modified - it's the way the car is built. It's the structure. They like the way the car handles when they modify the vehicle. We've seen a lot of that."

For tips on preventing auto-theft, the IBC has also put out a tip sheet of precautions car-owners can take here: Lock It or Lose It! (Opens in a new window.)


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Kate McCaffery is a freelance writer in Toronto, Ontario. Visit mccaffery.ca/kate2.0/ for more information.