LoJack released their 2017 Vehicle Theft Recovery Report. The report comes in the form of a downloadable infographic (seen below). In the 9th installment of the report, you’ll find the LoJack recovery data mirrors the trend of rising auto theft nationally, and thieves are continuing to target popular vehicles.
Key Insights
- Rising Recovery Values Match Rising Auto Theft Nationally
Law enforcement recovered over $134 million worth of LoJack-equipped stolen vehicles last year, a 7% increase from 2016. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, auto theft increased at a similar rate nationally. What’s more, for the ninth straight year, the top three states for recovered vehicles are California, Texas, and Florida, respectively. The FBI data tells a similar story, with these states also ranking in the top three for total auto theft.
Given the recent auto theft data, it may come as no surprise that our report mirrors the overall state of auto theft.
- Thieves Continue to Target Popular Vehicles
The top five most recovered vehicle models in 2017 were the Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Toyota Corolla, respectively. Because these vehicles are perennially popular with consumers, their replacement parts are in high demand. Profit-minded thieves see these vehicles as prime targets, as they can be stripped and sold for parts on the black market.
As the cost of replacement parts increases with more advanced vehicle technology, the profit incentive becomes even stronger for thieves. The average value per recovered vehicle increased 4% over last year—look for that trend to continue with the development of connected car technology, advanced sensor systems, and more sophisticated lighting technology. To learn more about the benefits of connected cars, check out a recent blog post.
A Thank You to Law Enforcement
LoJack thanks law enforcement for their continued hard work and dedication to making our communities safer. The company is proud to work with over 1,900 agencies across the country to help reduce the impact of auto theft in the community, and they look forward to supporting their efforts in 2018 and beyond.
You can download the full 2017 Vehicle Theft Recovery Report here.
