Saturns, Acuras rev thieves' hearts

DETROIT — The 1995 Saturn SL was the nation's most-stolen vehicle last year based on thefts versus the number of models registered, but hot-selling cars from Asian manufacturers remain popular and sport utility vehicles are gaining ground, a report shows.

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One out of every 200 registered 1995 Saturn SLs was stolen in 2003, placing it ahead of the 1998 Acura Integra and the 1994 Saturn SL as the vehicle thieves targeted most, according to Chicago-based CCC Information Services Inc., an insurance industry tracker of trends in theft and vehicle damage.

CCC changed the way it calculated its list for 2003, combining stolen-vehicle data with vehicle registrations from R.L. Polk & Co. to determine the rate of theft as a percentage of registered models. In the past, it has reported only the brand and model year of those vehicles pilfered the most in a calendar year.

As such, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, two of the best-selling vehicles in North America, fell from the top of the list to the middle of the top 25.

Acura, Honda's luxury brand, had six versions of the Integra in the top 10.

"We can't determine the exact reason thieves prefer some vehicles, but our data suggests some cars are stolen for the value of their parts, which may explain why we often see a 'clustering' effect with (specific) models from sequential model years," said Mary Jo Prigge, CCC's president of sales and service.

"Some manufacturers retain the same part-type from model year to model year, so a part from a 1993 model may fit a car manufactured three years later," Prigge said.

CCC, which provides software and information services to insurers and repair shops, receives loss claims from more than 350 property and casualty insurers in North America. The annual report is based on total losses for vehicles that are stolen and not recovered, or stripped to the point of being a total loss.

CCC spokeswoman Jeanene O'Brien said the shift to using theft and vehicle registration information provides more detail to the industry and consumers.

"It's simply a more comprehensive snapshot of vehicle theft," she said. "You're not only looking at what was stolen but what was available to steal."

Vehicles from the mid- to late-1990s were the most intriguing to thieves, CCC said. Vehicles made in 1997 were most susceptible, followed by model years 1996, 1995, 1994 and 1998.