Auto Theft Statistics

Auto theft is covered under the comprehensive section of an auto insurance policy. Theft coverage applies to the loss of the vehicles as well as parts of the car such as air bags. Comprehensive coverage, which is not mandatory, also pays for fire, vandalism and weather-related damage including damage from flooding and earthquakes. The dollar size of claims has been going up, reflecting the higher value of new cars on the road, the value of the cars that are targets for theft or are damaged and the cost of vehicle bodywork. Vehicle bodywork costs include replacing stolen components. Nationally, more than 75,000 airbags are stolen every year.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the number of U.S. motor vehicle thefts decreased by 8.1 percent from 2006 to 2007, the fourth consecutive annual decrease. In 2007 the value of stolen motor vehicles was $7.4 billion. The average value of a motor vehicle reported stolen in 2007 was $6,755.

KEY STATISTICS

• 2007 Theft Statistics:According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports, a motor vehicle is stolen in the United States every 28.8 seconds. The odds of a vehicle being stolen were 1 in 210 in 2006.The odds are highest in urban areas.
• U.S. motor vehicle thefts fell 8.1 percent in 2007 from 2006, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports. In 2007, 1,095,769 motor vehicles were reported stolen.
• In 2007 the southern states accounted for the largest share of thefts—36.4 percent, followed by the West, 35.7 percent. The Midwest accounted for 18.2 percent of thefts and the Northeast for 9.8 percent.
• Insurance Premiums: The average comprehensive insurance premium in the U.S. fell 3.3 percent from $145.16 in 2005 to $140.38 in 2006, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

• 2008 Theft Statistics: According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), preliminary 2008 crime data released by the FBI in January 2009 indicate that 2008 will be the fifth consecutive year of declines in motor vehicle theft. The NICB says that motor vehicle theft fell 12.6 percent from 2007 to 2008, the largest single-year percentage decrease since 1999.
• Thefts By City: According to an NICB study released in April 2009, the Modesto, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the highest rate per capita for vehicle thefts in the nation in 2008. Six of the top 10 U.S. MSAs for vehicle theft in 2008 were in California, as shown below:

TOP TEN U.S. METROPOLITAN AREAS, 2007

Rank	Metropolitan Statistical Area	Vehicles stolen	Rate (1)
1	Modesto, CA	5,358	1,047.99
2	Las Vegas/Paradise, NV	19,031	1,036.36
3	San Diego/Carlsbad/San Marcos, CA	28,074	943.71
4	Stockton, CA	5,649	841.89
5	San Francisco/Oakland/Fremont, CA	34,996	832.47
6	Laredo, TX	1,914	820.92
7	Albuquerque, NM	6,845	819.64
8	Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, AZ	34,182	817.86
9	Yakima, WA	1,898	814.38
10	Tucson, AZ	7,781	804.58

TOP TEN MOST FREQUENTLY STOLEN PASSENGER VEHICLES, 2007

Rank	Year, make, model
1	1995 Honda Civic
2	1991 Honda Accord
3	1989 Toyota Camry
4	1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup
5	1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup
6	1994 Acura Integra
7	2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
8	1994 Nissan Sentra
9	1988 Toyota Pickup
10	2007 Toyota Corolla

TOP TEN STATES FOR VEHICLE THEFT, 2007

Rank	State	Vehicles stolen
1	California	219,392
2	Texas	93,899
3	Florida	73,656
4	Arizona	48,389
5	Georgia	42,594
6	Michigan	42,151
7	Washington	37,622
8	Illinois	33,887
9	Ohio	33,779
10	Maryland	28,393

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT IN THE UNITED STATES, 1998-2007

Year	Vehicles stolen	Percent change
1998	1,242,781	-8.2%
1999	1,152,075	-7.3
2000	1,160,002	0.7
2001	1,228,391	5.9
2002	1,246,646	1.5
2003	1,261,226	1.2
2004	1,237,851	-1.9
2005	1,235,859	-0.2
2006	1,192,809	-3.5
2007	1,095,769	-8.1

Motorcycles Theft: The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NCIB) reports that the number of motorcycle thefts in the United States has declined each year from 2006 to 2008. Based on data from the National Crime Information Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, motorcycle thefts fell from 63,828 in 2006 to 60,763 in 2008, a 4.8 percent drop. The NICB's March 2009 report also details the seasonal nature of motorcycle thefts. California had the most motorcycle thefts in 2008. The top 10 states are as follows:

TOP TEN STATES FOR MOTORCYCLE THEFTS, 2005

State	Motorcycles stolen
California	9,110
Florida	6,324
Texas	5,755
North Carolina	3,053
Ohio	2,573
Arizona	2,464
New York	2,195
Indiana	2,186
Georgia	2,159
Pennsylvania	2,021

The NICB also noted that from 2006 to 2008 the average stolen motorcycle recovery rate was 36.2 percent. This is much lower than the 65 to 70 percent rate typical for automobiles, mostly because criminals can easily alter, reuse and camouflage motorcycle parts and frames. In 16 states one of the largest motorcycle insurers offers a 20 percent discount on the comprehensive portion of motorcycle insurance for riders who purchase the system.