Thieves Hate the Toyota Prius

[rickaren]

Worried about your car being stolen? Buy a Toyota Prius.

11/27/2012

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released a report last week that found that the Prius has a much lower theft rate than other vehicles.

Only one in 606 Prius hybrids from the 2008 to 2010 model years was reported stolen, according to the NICB. Comparatively, of all 2008 to 2010 model-year vehicles reported stolen, the average was one in 78.

“As it turns out, the most popular hybrid on US roads has a very low theft rate, and when it does get stolen, law enforcement are quick to return the machine to its rightful owners,” Autoblog reports. Out of all Prius cars reported stolen between 2000 and 2012, 96.7 percent were recovered and returned to the owner within about 24 days, the NICB reports.

One explanation of why the Prius is stolen less often than other cars is that cars are stolen and then typically stripped for parts that can be used in other cars. “The Prius' unique parts make it a less desirable target,” says Jalopnik. “The theft numbers are shockingly low considering how popular the Prius is.”

The NICB reports that California has the most Prius thefts, followed by Florida, New York, Washington and Texas. The NICB reported in August that the 1994 Honda Accord was the most stolen vehicle.

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