(October 19, 2020) The full-size Ford pickup, which has been the the top-selling U.S. pickup for more than four decades, also became the most stolen vehicle of 2019, according to a National Insurance Crime Bureau report.  NICB's "Hot Wheels: America's Top Ten Most Stolen Vehicle Makes" measures theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center.

The Ford pickup moved to the top spot from third place in last year's report with 38,938 thefts, up from 36,355 the year before. The most stolen model year for the F-Series is 2006.

Ford's F-Series has been the top-selling pickup in the U.S. for 43 years, and the automaker sold 896,526 of them in 2019, a 1.4 percent drop from 2018.



The most stolen vehicle of 2018 was the Honda Civic with 38,426 thefts, but they decreased by nearly 14 percent in 2019, giving the Civic the second-place spot.

The Chevrolet pickup lineup was third, with 1,017 more thefts in 2019 than in 2018.

The report found that 2019's most stolen model year was the 2000 Honda Civic with 4,731 thefts. Jeep fell out of the top 10, replaced by the Honda CR-V with 10,094 thefts.




NICB works to prevent insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data collection and analytics.
As thefts remain high, NICB recommends drivers follow these four layers of protection to guard against vehicle theft:

1. Common Sense — the common sense approach to protection is the easiest and most cost-effective way to thwart would-be thieves. You should always:
    •    Remove your keys from the ignition
    •    Lock your doors/close your windows
    •    Park in a well-lit area

2. Warning Device — the second layer of protection is a visible or audible device which alerts thieves that your vehicle is protected. Popular devices include:
    •    Audible alarms
    •    Steering column collars
    •    Steering wheel/brake pedal lock
    •    Brake locks
    •    Wheel locks
    •    Theft deterrent decals
    •    Identification markers in or on vehicle
    •    VIN etching
    •    Micro dot marking

3. Immobilizing Device — the third layer of protection is a device which prevents thieves from bypassing your ignition and hot-wiring the vehicle. Some electronic devices have computer chips in ignition keys. Other devices inhibit the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine until a hidden switch or button is activated. Some examples are:
    •    Smart keys
    •    Fuse cut-offs
    •    Kill switches
    •    Starter, ignition, and fuel pump disablers
    •    Wireless ignition authentication

4. Tracking Device — the final layer of protection is a tracking device which emits a signal to police or a monitoring station when the vehicle is stolen. Tracking devices are very effective in helping authorities recover stolen vehicles. Some systems employ “telematics” which combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle. If the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner and the vehicle can be tracked via computer.