Car thefts have fallen as auto manufacturers up the security built into cars.
Of course, plenty of people still have their cars stolen or broken into every year. In 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported an average of 1.17 thefts for every 1,000 cars produced.
Some of this might be personal carelessness. Windows accidentally left down, easily accessible keys, or enticing items like power cords left in view, indicating the likely presence of more expensive gadgets, can all draw a car thief in.
But sometimes it's something even more simplethe make of the car. These cars were listed as the top 10 stolen models by Bankrate.com.
1) Dodge Charger
In 2010, 532 Dodge Chargers were reported as stolen. This Chrysler vehicle was the most stolen car of the year in terms of the theft rate of 6.0433 per 1,000 vehicles produced.
2) Pontiac G6
GM's Pontiac G6 was the second most stolen car of the year. Though the number of thefts was significantly lower, at 111 in 2010, the rate was 4.3383 per 1,000 vehicles.
3) Chevrolet Impala
This GM vehicle came in third despite having the highest number of thefts in 2010. Though 579 were stolen, that came out to only 3.85 per 1,000.
4) Chrysler 300
This vehicle had a theft rate of 3.5399 per 1,000 cars, with 185 thefts in 2010.
5) Infiniti FX35
This is the first foreign car to fall into the mix. The Nissan Inifiti FX35 maintained a similar per-1,000 theft rate at 3.1966, but the number of thefts, 30, was much lower.
6) Mitsubishi Galant
This Mitsubishi vehicle had a theft rate of 3.1527, also similar to the Infiniti and Chrysler vehicles, with 38 thefts in 2010.
7) Chrysler Sebring
Thefts for this car were much higher than both the Mitsubishi and the Nissan. The Chrysler Sebring had 130 thefts in 2010 but a lower theft rate at 3.0217.
8) Lexus SC
Toyota's Lexus SC is an interesting case. While only one of these cars was stolen in 2010, that amounted to a rate of 2.9851 per 1,000 produced, as only 335 were produced that year. That doesn't seem to be hard evidence that this car is highly stolen, but the rate of theft versus production puts it higher up on the list.
9) Dodge Avenger
Thefts for Chrysler's Dodge Avenger jump in comparison to the Lexus SC. In 2010, 197 of these cars were stolen, a rate of 2.914.
10) Kia Rio
The Kia Rio was the tenth-most stolen car in 2010 in relation to the number manufactured. The 55 thefts that year gave it a theft rate of 2.8986.
This list contradicts sheer numbers of cars stolen. If we were to look at the highest number of car thefts, Toyota's Camry would come out on top with 691 thefts in 2010.
Also ranking high would be the Toyota Corolla, with 615 thefts, and then of course the Chevrolet Impala and the Dodge Charger, both of which made this list.
The best thing you can do, no matter what kind of car you own, is to take basic security precautions to avoid theft. Lock your car, roll up the windows, and hide any valuables or things indicating you might have valuables (like that tell-tale iPod cord).
If your car does not already have a security system, or to beef up your car's existing system, you could have LoJack installed, which will track a stolen car, or another car security system.
And be smart. You can't always control where you park your car, but parking garages and certain neighborhoods often draw in more theft. Vigilance is key.
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