Insurance Bureau of Canada reveals annual list of top 10 most stolen vehicles in Ontario

Dec 5 2017, 10:41 pm

The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), has released its annual Top 10 Most Frequently Stolen Vehicles list and revealed that the most commonly stolen vehicles in Ontario are high-end luxury SUVs.

“Between 2015 and 2016, Ontario has seen an overall increase of 1% in auto theft, with considerable variations and fluctuations right across the province,” said Kim Donaldson, Vice-President, Ontario, IBC.

“Many of the high-end vehicles that are stolen in this province will end up in overseas markets or in chop shops where they will be scrapped for parts.”

According to the report, this year’s 10 most frequently stolen vehicles in IBC’s Ontario region are:

1.    2016 Toyota 4Runner 4-door 4WD SUV
2.    2015 Toyota 4Runner 4-door 4WD SUV
3.    2006 Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD and GMC Yukon 4WD SUVs
4.    2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 2WD Pick-Up
5.    2005 Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD and GMC Yukon 4WD SUVs
6.    2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 4WD and GMC Sierra 2500 4WD SUVs
7.    2003 Hummer H2 4-door 4WD SUV
8.    2002 Chevrolet Tahoe 4-door 4WD and GMC Yukon 4-door 4WD SUVs
9.    2014 Toyota 4-Runner 4-door 4WD SUV
10.  2005 Buick Rainier 4-door 2WD, Chevrolet Trailblazer 4-door 2WD and GMC Envoy SUVs

In the past year, Guelph reported the largest auto theft activity increase in the country at 49 per cent. Windsor reported a 14 per cent increase, while St. Catharines reported a 5 per cent increase.

Toronto, the province’s largest city, reported a 4 per cent increase in auto theft activity, while the second largest city, Ottawa, experienced a 1 per cent decline.

But it wasn’t just Ottawa that saw a decline in auto thefts, Sudbury reported a 17 per cent decline, Barrie and London each saw a 12 per cent drop, Kingston enjoyed a 9 per cent decline and Peterborough and Hamilton each saw a 1 per cent decline.

The findings also revealed that the province’s rate of recovery for stolen vehicles increased to 60 per cent, which is up 2 per cent from last year.

To help eliminate auto theft, IBC says motorists can keep their vehicles safe by taking the following steps:

  • Never leave your vehicle running when unattended.
  • Park in well-lit areas.
  • When parking your car, always close the windows and lock the doors.
  • Put valuables and packages in the trunk, where they are out of sight.
  • Keep your car in the garage at night.
  • Don’t leave personal information in the glove box. Take your insurance and ownership documents with you when you park your vehicle.

“It takes less than a minute for a car thief to steal your vehicle. If you’ve gone to the trouble of buying a car that has a theft deterrent system, don’t make it easy for thieves by leaving the keys in the car,” added Donaldson.

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