text: The most stolen car of 2012 isn't fancy, expensive, or even new. For the fourth year in a row, the 'winner' is the 1994 Honda Accord. Here's why the popular family car topped thieves' lists. 
   
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   A logo of Honda Motor Co is pictured at a Honda dealer in Kawasaki, south of Tokyo last month. For the fourth consecutive year, the 1994 Honda Accord had the dubious honor of being the most stolen car in the United States. 
   
   The singling out of the 1994 Honda Accord as the most-stolen car in the United States last year isn’t exactly music to the ears of owners of the popular family car. According to the latest report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the 1994 Accord once again tops the list, making this the car’s fourth consecutive appearance as the car thieves most love to steal. 
   
   The ’94 Accord’s lack of security features and its popularity as the main reasons why the car is so frequently stolen. In 1997, Honda began equipping its vehicles with immobilizer systems, preventing them from running unless the driver had the key. 
   
   The NICB compiles its annual “Hot Wheels” report by crunching data submitted to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) by law enforcement agencies across the country. 
   
   Number two on the list is also a Honda, the 1998 Honda Civic. A surprise entry in the top three is the 2006 Ford F-150 pickup, the first time a truck ranked so high on the most-stolen list since the NICB began tracking thefts in 2000. Two other full-size pickups, the 1999 Chevrolet pickup and the 2004 Dodge pickup, came in at spots number seven and eight, respectively. The 2002 Ford Explorer SUV ranked ninth. 
   
   Fourth place belongs to the 1991 Toyota Camry, another traditionally best-selling family sedan. Two other sedans, the 1994 Acura Integra and the 1994 Nissan Sentra, ranked in sixth and 10th place. The Dodge Caravan, the only minivan on the list, was the fifth most-stolen vehicle last year nationally. 
   
   As for the increase in thefts of later-model vehicles, the NICB says that’s the result of thieves being able to illegally obtain replacement key codes for specific vehicles. 
   
   There is some good news though in that overall, thefts are decreasing. According to FBI crime statistics, thefts haven’t been this low since 1967. ||||| NICB Names 10 Most-Stolen Vehicles for 2011 
   
   Key Code Thefts a Growing Concern 
   
   The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released Hot Wheels −its list of the 10 most-stolen vehicles in the United States. The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and determines the vehicle make, model and model year most reported stolen in 2011. 
   
   See the full report at www.nicb.org. 
   
   For 2011, the most-stolen vehicles* in the nation were: 
   
   1994 Honda Accord 1998 Honda Civic 2006 Ford Pickup (Full Size) 1991 Toyota Camry 2000 Dodge Caravan 1994 Acura Integra 1999 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size) 2004 Dodge Pickup (Full Size) 2002 Ford Explorer 1994 Nissan Sentra 
   
   Each year, NICB reviews all NCIC vehicle theft records to produce its national and state lists of the 10 most-stolen vehicles. Hot Wheels is the only report that examines all theft data without regard to a vehicle’s insured status − if a vehicle was reported stolen to law enforcement, it is captured in this report. 
   
   The top 10 places were evenly split in 2011 with five belonging to foreign brands and five to U.S. automakers. Most popular models among the domestic brands were Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet pickup trucks each holding one spot with the Dodge Caravan and Ford Explorer rounding out the domestic models. 
   
   Once again, 2011 is on track to continue the national vehicle theft decline. Preliminary 2011 FBI crime statistics indicate a 3.3 percent reduction from the 737,142 thefts recorded in 2010. Vehicle thefts have not been this low since 1967. 
   
   “While overall thefts continue to decline, we are seeing a trend toward increases in the thefts of late model vehicles − ones that are theoretically harder to steal due to sophisticated key code technology,” said NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. 
   
   “Today’s vehicle thieves are typically professional criminals who have figured out how to get the key code for a specific vehicle, have a replacement key made, and steal the vehicle within a matter of days. We are aware of nearly 300 thefts that took place in the first three months of this year in which we believe replacement keys using illegally obtained key codes were used to steal the vehicle. We are working closely with our member companies, law enforcement, and the vehicle manufacturers to track these illegal key code transactions and stop the thefts or recover the stolen vehicles before they can be resold here or shipped out of the country to be sold overseas.” 
   
   For more on key code thefts, watch this video. 
   
   Even one theft is one too many if it happens to you. NICB urges motorists to follow its “layered approach” to auto theft prevention. By employing these simple, low-cost suggestions, people can make their vehicles less attractive to thieves. 
   
   NICB’s four layers of protection are: 
   
   Common Sense: Lock your car and take your keys. It’s simple enough, but many thefts occur because owners make it easy for thieves to steal their cars. 
   
   Warning Device: Having and using a visible or audible warning device is another item that can ensure that your car remains where you left it. 
   
   Immobilizing Device: Generally speaking, if your vehicle can’t be started, it can’t be stolen. “Kill” switches, fuel cut-offs and smart keys are among the devices that are extremely effective. 
   
   Tracking Device: A tracking device emits a signal to the police or to 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. 
   
   Considering a used vehicle purchase? Check out VINCheckSM, a free vehicle history service for consumers. Since 2005, NICB has offered this limited service made possible by its participating member companies. Check it out at: www.nicb.org/vincheck. 
   
   Anyone with information concerning vehicle theft and insurance fraud can report it anonymously by calling toll-free 1-800-TEL-NICB (1-800-835-6422), texting keyword “fraud” to TIP411 (847411) or by visiting our website at www.nicb.org. 
   
   About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill., the NICB is the nation’s leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to preventing, detecting and defeating insurance fraud and vehicle theft through data analytics, investigations, training, legislative advocacy and public awareness. The NICB is supported by more than 1,100 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. NICB member companies wrote over $339 billion in insurance premiums in 2011, or approximately 80 percent of the nation’s property/casualty insurance. That includes more than 94 percent ($156 billion) of the nation’s personal auto insurance. To learn more visit www.nicb.org. 
   
   * This report reflects stolen vehicle data reported to NCIC in 2011. No further filtering of information is conducted (i.e., determining the total number of a particular make and model currently registered in the U.S. for comparison purposes). For purposes of this report, full size pickups include half ton and larger capacity models for all makes.
target: – What do car thieves want? Flashy sports cars? Posh luxury vehicles? Powerful trucks? Nope, nope, and nope. The most stolen car in America last year was again the humble 1994 Honda Accord, the National Insurance Crime Bureau has announced in a new report. That's because the '94 Accord was both extremely popular, and lacked the security features Honda started implementing in 1997, the Christian Science Monitor explains. Another Honda family car, the 1998 Civic, ranks second. Perhaps the most surprising entry on the list: The 2006 Ford F-150 pickup, which comes in at No. 3, the highest a truck has ever climbed in the annual report. Here's the full top 10: 1994 Honda Accord 1998 Honda Civic 2006 Ford F-150 Pickup 1991 Toyota Camry 2000 Dodge Caravan 1994 Acura Integra 1999 Chevy Pickup 2004 Dodge Pickup 2002 Ford Explorer 1994 Nissan Sentra