Posthaste: Auto theft is a 'national crisis' — the most and least stolen cars in Canada
The rate of auto theft has risen to a record high in the past year, but drivers can lower their chances of falling victim depending on what kind of car they drive, one industry group says.
The Honda CR-V SUV is the most stolen vehicle in Canada for a second-straight year, according to Équité Association, a non-profit focused on eliminating insurance crime for the property and casualty insurance industry. Rounding out the top three is the 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 series truck and the 2020 Ford F150 series truck.
Meanwhile, the top three vehicles least likely to be stolen are the Chevrolet Volt, the Kia Nino SDR and the Cadillac XTS.
Auto theft skyrocketed to new heights in 2022, rising 48 per cent in Ontario and 50 per cent in Quebec from the previous year, Équité Association said. Thefts also rose in Alberta, up 18.3 per cent, and in Atlantic Canada, rising 34.5 per cent from the prior year.
Those record rates of theft also drove record insurance claims, with the industry paying out $1.2 billion in claims last year, the association said.
It’s a problem unlikely to get better any time soon, with organized crime making Canada a top destination for auto theft, and criminals going on to use the proceeds to fund drug trafficking and terrorism, according to Équité.
“The auto theft problem in our country is getting worse,” Bryan Gast, vice president of Investigative Services at the association, said in a release. “Organized crime continues to look to Canada as a source nation for stolen vehicles where the financial reward is high and the risk of prosecution is low.”
Still, drivers can take steps to prevent theft, and knowing which cars get targeted most can prove helpful, especially for those people looking to buy a new vehicle. Owners can also lower their risk of theft by ensuring their car doors are kept locked and windows closed, by investing in alarms or other theft-prevention systems, such as steering wheel locks, or by installing a tracking device.
Equité is calling on the auto industry, government and law enforcement to work together to prevent theft. “Canadians expect to see a collaborative approach to combatting this urgent and continuing national auto theft crisis,” Terri O’Brien, chief executive of Équité Association, said.
Here is the full list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in 2022, by make and model:
1. 2020 Honda CR-V
2. 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 series
3. 2020 Ford F150 series
4. 2020 Lexus RX series
5. 2021 Toyota Highlander
6. 2019 Honda Civic
7. 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee
8. 2020 Land Rover Range Rover
9. 2006 Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierra 1500 series
10. 2021 Jeep Wrangler
And here are the 10 vehicles that were least likely to be stolen last year:
1. Chevrolet Volt
2. Kia Niro 5DR
3. Cadillac XT5
4. Buick Envision
5. Mini Cooper Countryman
6. Volvo XC90
7. Volkswagen Beetle
8. Chevrolet Corvette
9. Hyundai Ioniq
10. Mazda Mazda2
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United States inflation broadly slowed in October, an encouraging sign of progress for the U.S. Federal Reserve in the long path to taming price pressures.
The core consumer price index, which excludes food and energy costs, increased 0.2 per cent from September, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed Tuesday. Economists favour the core gauge as a better indicator of underlying inflation than the overall CPI. That measure stalled, restrained by cheaper gasoline.
Shelter prices, which make up about a third of the overall CPI index, climbed 0.3 per cent, half the prior month’s pace. Economists see a sustained moderation in this category as key to bring core inflation down to the Fed’s target. A key measure of rent as well as hotel stays stepped down.
Excluding housing and energy, services prices climbed 0.2 per cent from September and 3.7 per cent from a year ago — the lowest in nearly two years — according to Bloomberg calculations.
Ghislain Houle, chief finance officer of Canadian National Railway Co. and Patrick Whitehead, incoming chief networking operation officer at the railroad, will address the Scotiabank Transportation and Industrials Conference in Toronto.
Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Daniel Breton, chief executive of Electric Mobility Canada, will discuss the government’s action to increase zero-emission vehicle production and adoption at the Electric Mobility Canada conference in Edmonton.
Today’s data: Canadian manufacturing sales and orders, wholesale trade, new motor vehicle sales, existing home sales; U.S. retail sales, producer price index, Empire State manufacturing survey
Earnings: Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Metro Inc., Oracle Corp., Cisco Inc.
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Today’s Posthaste was written by Victoria Wells, with additional reporting from Financial Post staff, The Canadian Press and Bloomberg.
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