Keep Your Car From Getting Stolen

Feb. 18, 2006 — -- It takes a thief 10 seconds to break into car, and then less than eight minutes to dismantle it into sellable parts that often are worth more than your car as whole.

If someone really wants to steal your car, they will -- but there is plenty you can do to deter them, Mike Siemienas, an Allstate Insurance spokesman, told ABC News' "Good Morning America Weekend Edition."

According to Siemienas, vehicle theft is the No. 1 property crime, and Honda models are the most-stolen cars.

Car theft costs American communities about $8.2 billion a year, Siermienas said. On top of that, insurance theft is a $30 billion-a-year industry.

According to the National Crime Information Center, the 1995 Honda Civic, 1989 Toyota Camry, 1991 Honda Accord, 1994 Dodge Caravan and the 1994 Chevy 1500 pickup are the top five stolen cars -- and Modesto, Calif.; Stockdon-Lodi, Calif.; Las Vegas; Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.; and Sacramento, Calif.; are the top five cities for car theft.

"There's a misconception that car theft is a big-city crime, and it's not," Siemienas said. "It happens in the suburbs and in rural communities. For example Los Angeles is ranked 21 for car theft and Washington, D.C., is ranked 31. Chicago is ranked 65 and New York is 19, so it can happen to anyone."

It took eight minutes to dismantle the 1994 Honda Accord in a "GMA" studio. What makes it so coveted for thieves is that it is worth $3,675 in one piece, but in parts, more than $13,000.

"The main reason it's worth more in pieces is because each part has a value to it," said Siemienas. "But if you sold the car what it was worth piece for piece, no one would be able to afford it. And there's a demand for old parts. There isn't much of a demand for old cars."

Honda's Chuck Schifsky said the reason the Civic and the Accord are among the most-stolen cars is because of "popularity of the car." He also said that most of the parts that are frequently stolen have "VIN numbers on them and most cars have immobilizer systems in the keys. As that technology has become available we have put it into cars."