There are many factors that influence our auto insurance costs, including what car we drive and where we live. When it comes to the car we drive, one of the factors that insurers consider is whether that car is frequently stolen. If your car is on the list of most stolen vehicles, most insurance companies will charge you a higher rate to insure it.

Non-profit organizations such as the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) track the most stolen vehicles in America by tallying all cars that are reported stolen by law enforcement agencies each year.

The NICB's current top ten list of the most stolen vehicles nationwide is as follows:

1. 1995 Honda Civic
2. 1989 Toyota Camry
3. 1991 Honda Accord
4. 1994 Dodge Caravan
5. 1994 Chevrolet Full Size C/K 1500 Pickup
6. 1997 Ford F150 Series
7. 2003 Dodge Ram Pickup
8. 1990 Acura Integra
9. 1988 Toyota Pickup
10. 1991 Nissan Sentra

The NICB reports that 1,237,114 vehicles were reported stolen in 2004, a decrease of 23,357 vehicles from 2003 figures. While this decrease in auto theft is a positive sign, it still means that a vehicle is stolen in the U.S every 25.5 seconds.

Even if your car is high on this list – You CAN protect it!
There are a number of measures you can take to help safeguard your car from being stolen, even from the most experienced thief. It is extremely important for drivers to protect themselves by installing devices such as steering wheel locks, alarms, cut-off switches, fuel disablers, and tracking devices that give police the location of a stolen vehicle. Not only could they save your car from being stolen or help authorities find it if it is, but they could also lower your insurance costs. Think about it, can you imagine what you would do without your car for even a week? Don’t let these professional thieves profit from the car you count on to get you to all the places you need to go.