What's The Most Stolen Car In PA? The 'Hot Wheels' List Is Out
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - If you own a late model Honda sedan, make sure you lock it up tight. A national organization says two Honda models were the most stolen vehicle in Pennsylvania last year.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau has been collecting data on which cars are stolen the most for decades. Last year, the 1997 Honda Accord and the 1998 Honda Accord were number one and two on the list.
The Bureau's Frank Scafidi's says there's a couple reasons for that:
"Hondas and Toyotas, they just sell a gazillion of them, and they last a long time and there's just many more of them on the road, and the older versions, for sure, are much easier to steal."
Also, he says, the older model Hondas can be broken into easier:
"Somebody knows what they're doing could just pull a handful of wires out of the dashboard and start a car and off you go. But the newer versions, the ones that have keyless ignition systems or just operate with a fob, close proximity to the car, you can't hot wire those vehicles anymore, that's just a thing of the past."
Scafidi says if you do own a later model vehicle, the secret to keeping it from getting stolen is easy: lock the car, don't leave keys in the ignition and don't leave the car running if you get out.