Stolen Cars: Which Cities Are the Worst?

April 25, 2009— -- Modesto, Calif., has seen better days. Earlier this month, Forbes rated it the worst metro area in the country in our Most Livable Cities list; it ranked fifth in this year's round-up of our nation's Most Miserable Cities.

Now the Central Valley town has another claim to infamy: It's where you're most likely to have your car stolen, according to a new report, called Hot Spots, from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

Click here to learn more about America's car-theft hotspots at our partner site, Forbes.com.

"California traditionally has the most thefts in the country every year, by far," says Frank Scafidi, a spokesman for NICB. "There are just more of everything here. There're more cars here, there're more people here, there're more bad guys here, more bad gals here--and the cars last longer, [because] the weather here is not as severe as other places, so those are all factors that add to that bad result."

This is the second consecutive year--and fifth time in six years--Modesto has topped the car-theft hot-spot list. The Modesto metropolitan statistical area reported 4,235 cars stolen in 2008, a rate of 829 thefts per 100,000 people.

The nationwide rate is a substantially lower 363.3 thefts per 100,000 people, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Behind the Numbers

The hot-spot list uses data from NICB, a Des Plaines, Ill.-based nonprofit organization devoted to preventing vehicle theft and insurance fraud. The NICB uses U.S. Census Bureau population estimates and ZIP code data matched with theft records for metropolitan statistical areas. The end result is calculated on a scale of thefts per 100,000 people.

The state of California ranked No. 1 in total thefts, but areas in Texas, Nevada and New Mexico also featured prominently in the report. And while the list marked the fifth year in a row that U.S. auto theft has declined, it highlighted significant increases in Texas and New Mexico.

El Paso, Laredo and San Antonio, along with Las Cruces, each saw an increase over their totals from last year's report. Laredo ranked second on the list of 361 metropolitan areas; it averaged more than 827.21 thefts per 100,000 people in 2008.

Border towns like Laredo often succumb to car thieves shuttling drugs, money and weapons through Mexico.

"You've got a huge population of people who are addicted to drugs--methamphetamine and so forth--and like anything else, it feeds the habit," Scafidi says. "You have to have money to sustain the habit, and whether it's auto theft or burglaries or petty thefts, all these things happen in large numbers and typically with a stolen car."

At No. 3, Yakima, Wash., was the only area in a northern state to make the list. It sits on a main thoroughfare that runs between Mexico and Canada, which makes it susceptible to transient workers passing through the area. San Diego and Bakersfield, Calif., rounded out the top five.

No cities from the East Coast, Midwest or South cracked the top 10. Phoenix had the biggest drop-out from last year's top 10, from eighth place last year to 19th this year. Elmira, N.Y., is listed as the least-likely place for auto theft. Only 23 cars were stolen there last year, a rate of 26.19 per 100,000 people.

Not Necessarily about the Car

While certain models are stolen more than others (the 1995 Honda Civic is the nation's most stolen car, according to NICB data), many auto thefts are less about the car itself and more about the airbags, electronics and personal information inside the vehicle.

Terri Miller, director of the Michigan-based Help Eliminate Auto Theft program, says component theft is popular because smart keys and tracking devices have made cars more difficult to steal.

It's no small business: Airbags can fetch up to $200 on the black market, according to the Insurance Information Institute--more than 75,000 of them are stolen ever year. The NICB says airbag theft costs more than $50 million each year for insurers and vehicle owners, who must pay roughly $1,000 to replace them.

Car tires and rims also enjoy a strong black market, Miller says, and catalytic converters are hot items thanks to skyrocketing metal prices.

"Every catalytic converter has a precious metal like rhodium or platinum or quartz with the emission control device, so they were getting pretty good money for those from the scrap yard," Miller says.

Theft Prevention

There are plenty of ways to prevent theft. Alarms, steering-wheel and tire locks, and vehicle identification number etching provide a strong first layer of defense; immobilizing devices and tracking systems aggressively combat theft and ensure vehicle recovery. Most alarms cost several hundred dollars, and wheel and tire locks cost $200 or less--a smart investment.

The first and best thing to do to prevent auto theft, however, is to use common sense, says Lt. Glenn Miner of the New York State Police. Lock car doors, roll up windows and park in well-lit areas. "Thieves, in general, don't like witnesses," Miner says.

"My strongest recommendation right now is: It's Spring time. Clean out the garage. Use it," Miller says. "Why do we put our junk in the garage and leave our $40,000 car in the driveway?"