ARLINGTON,
VA
- The Acura Integra (2- and 4-door) had the most frequent theft
claims among 1999-2001 models. Its claim frequency was more than
8 times the average for all cars and more than 2-1/2 times higher
than the frequency for the vehicle with the second highest theft
claim frequency, the Jeep Wrangler. Largely because of the Integra's
very high rate of claims, this car also had the greatest overall
theft losses, as measured by the average cost of claims per insured
vehicle -- about 14 times the average and more than twice the
cost of the vehicle with the second highest overall losses.
These
are the latest insurance theft loss results published by the Highway
Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety. HLDI results are the only reported theft results
based on the number of insured vehicles. Information on insurance
theft losses published by the National Insurance Crime Bureau
and CCC Information Services doesn't take into account how many
of each vehicle are insured, so the most popular vehicles on the
road tend to top these organizations' lists of most-stolen vehicles.
In contrast, HLDI identifies vehicles with the worst theft losses
by counting the number of theft claims by make and model relative
to the number of each make and model insured. Models with the
highest losses are identified by calculating both frequency and
cost of claims.
Antitheft
immobilizer only partially successful for Integra: For 5 years
in a row, the Acura Integra has been on HLDI's "10 worst" list
for theft. In response, Honda (manufacturer of Acuras) started
equipping Integras with passive immobilizing antitheft devices,
beginning with 2000 models. Results for 2000 Integras do show
declines in theft claims to 16.8 per 1,000 insured vehicle years,
compared with 25.0 for 1999 Integras. But the claim frequency
has gone back up to 21.6 per 1,000 for 2001 models.
"Immobilizers
are thought to be more effective in deterring amateur thieves
than the professionals," says Kim Hazelbaker, HLDI senior vice
president. "Theft investigators believe that Integras are targeted
by professional thieves for their parts and that many of those
parts, like the more powerful engine, end up on modified Honda
Civics." The Civic and the Integra share the same platform.
Long-term
theft trends: Since 1980 overall theft claim frequencies have
declined while average insurance payments per claim have increased.
Overall losses, which had held constant for many years at about
$20 per insured vehicle year, declined to about $15 for 1999-2001
models.
|
PASSENGER
VEHICLES WITH HIGHEST THEFT CLAIM FREQUENCIES, 1999-2001
MODELS
| Make/series |
Size/type |
FREQUENCY
(claims per 1,000 insured vehicle yrs.) |
| Acura
Integra |
Small
2-door/4-door car |
21.7 |
| Jeep
Wrangler |
Small
2-door utility vehicle |
8.5 |
| Jeep
Cherokee 4WD |
Small
4-door utility vehicle |
6.6 |
| Honda
Prelude |
Small
2-door car |
6.4 |
| Mitsubishi
Mirage |
Small
2-door car |
6.2 |
| Chrysler
300M |
Large
4-door car |
5.9 |
| Hyundai
Tiburon |
Small
2-door car |
5.5 |
| Dodge
Intrepid |
Large
4-door car |
5.1 |
| Mitsubishi
Mirage |
Small
4-door car |
5.1 |
| Chrysler
LHS |
Large
4-door car |
5.0 |
| |
AVERAGE
FOR ALL CARS |
2.6 |
PASSENGER
VEHICLES WITH HIGHEST THEFT LOSSES, 1999-2001 MODELS
| Make/series |
Size/type |
Average
loss payment per insured vehicle year |
| Acura
Integra |
Small
2-door/4-door car |
$205 |
| BMW
X5 4WD |
Midsize
4-door utility vehicle |
$92 |
| Chevrolet
Corvette |
Small
sports convertible |
$86 |
| Lincoln
Navigator 4WD |
Large
4-door utility vehicle |
$65 |
| Mercedes
CLK class |
Midsize
2-door luxury car |
$57 |
| Audi
A6 Quattro |
Midsize
4-door luxury car |
$57 |
| Chevrolet
Corvette |
Small
sports car |
$52 |
| Lincoln
Navigator |
Large
4-door utility vehicle |
$51 |
| Lexus
LX series 4WD |
Large
4-door utility vehicle |
$49 |
| Dodge
Ram 3500 series |
Very
large pickup truck |
$46 |
| |
AVERAGE
FOR ALL CARS |
$15 |
|
INSURANCE THEFT CLAIM FREQUENCIES & AVERAGE
LOSS PAYMENTS PER CLAIM, 1980-2001 MODELS
