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Ford F-Series, America's top-selling vehicle, is now the most stolen



After 43 consecutive years at the top of America's sales chart, the Ford F-Series is adding another trophy to its collection. It was the most stolen car in the United States in 2019, according to the annual Hot Wheels report.

Yes, 38,938 examples of the 2006 Ford F-Series were reported stolen in 2019, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported. This marks the first time the Blue Oval's truck landed in the top spot; it ranked third in 2018, with 36,355 units stolen. Remember, the F-Series nameplate denotes a wide range of models ranging from the perennially popular F-150 to heavy-duty variants like the F-350, and even the F-550 your utility company uses.

Check out: Most Stolen Cars and Trucks of 2020

Second place went to the 2000 Honda Civic, which was reported stolen 33,220 times in 2019. It was America's most stolen car in 2018, when 38,426 owners told their insurance company that their car had vanished. Chevrolet's 2004 Silverado finished behind the F-Series, like it does on the sales chart, in third place with 32,583 thefts.

Spots four through seven are occupied by Japanese sedans: the 1997 Honda Accord (30,754 thefts), the 2007 Toyota Camry (15,656), the 2015 Nissan Altima (13,355), and the 2018 Toyota Corolla (12,137). It's a group that illustrates the list's diversity. On one hand, thieves are still attracted to a 23-year-old Honda, and there are enough left on American roads for it to unenviably earn a spot on this list. On the other hand, a 2-year-old Toyota is evidently not difficult to steal even though it's a modern (albeit basic) car.

Rounding out the top 10 are the 2001 Dodge Ram (11,292 thefts), the 2018 GMC Sierra (11,164), and the 2001 Honda CR-V (10,094).

There are no European cars on the list, which is hardly a surprise because there are no European cars on the list of America's 2019 best-sellers.

The NICB also published data that analyze car thefts in individual states. For the most part, the cars that show up on the nation's top 10 list also appear in each state's rankings, but there are a handful of surprises. Alaska's fourth most stolen car is the 1999 Subaru Legacy, though only 52 units were reported missing. Wisconsin's top spot went to the 2003 Dodge Caravan, with 233 thefts, and 66 examples of the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix were stolen in Iowa. Volkswagen's Jetta is the only European car on any state's list. It's No. 6 in New Hampshire (2003 model, 10 thefts reported) and No. 9 in Idaho (2019 model, 16 thefts reported).

Basic precautions and common sense can prevent a lot of thefts, but driving something European is apparently another way to deter thieves. And, keep a close eye on that old Accord you don't even bother locking anymore.