Study Shows Ohio Car Thieves Target Older Model Vehicles

A new study shows Ohio car thieves favor older, American-made vehicles over newer models, echoing a nationwide trend.

The 1994 versions of the Dodge Caravan, Oldsmobile Cutlass and Buick Century led a list of the state’s most frequently stolen vehicles last year, in a study by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Nationwide, the top targets were the 1995 Honda Civic, 1991 Honda Accord and 1989 Toyota Camry.

The Ohio Insurance Institute says older cars attract thieves because their parts are valuable on the black market. Officials also say the vehicles have fewer anti-theft features than newer models.

Preliminary reports for 2007 show an 8.6 percent decrease in the auto-theft rate in Ohio, a slightly smaller drop than the 8.9 percent decrease nation-wide.

Topics Auto Ohio