I suspect Todd Rundgren in the main culprit.

Can someone explain: are GM too mean to put in an immobilizer into the Escalade; or are Escalade owners just to dumb to take their key out of the ignition when they get out of the vehicle?

Steal an Escalade... strip it down for 15k in parts in less than an hour

Seems pretty easy to me

Hell, the Tires/Rims go for about 1k a pop!

The grill, seats, doors, airbag are all worth a fortune

Why is it that all of the most stolen cars are hideous cars I'd never consider owning nor do I know anyone who has ever owned. However, when I looked through the least stolen cars, for about 4 of them I said to myself "I have a friend who has that car"?

I don't own a car (sadly, I miss it and want it back), but I did have my subway pass stolen once, but there was only about .75 left on it so I doubt the thief got past the turnstile.

At least car thieves like American cars.

So we're not buying American, we're stealing American?

oh

FYI, my wife's uncle owns a repo business and he says that the most repo-ed car this season is the Hummer H3

Did people get great deals on those off the lot and forget to pay their bills or something?

Seems kind of strange that he picks so many of those up

/smart owners just burn the car when they default

Mr. Fenster Manifester: So we're not buying American, we're stealing American?

That's what America is all about.

/"This land isn't your land
This land is my land
Get your ass hout of here, you red skinned savage..."

smerfnablin: oh

FYI, my wife's uncle owns a repo business and he says that the most repo-ed car this season is the Hummer H3

Did people get great deals on those off the lot and forget to pay their bills or something?

Seems kind of strange that he picks so many of those up

/smart owners just burn the car when they default

Don't they credit check those people?

Interesting, no Integra or Civic on the list. As I recall, those have been mainstays for quite a while.

Insurance fraud.

Rhawb: Interesting, no Integra or Civic on the list. As I recall, those have been mainstays for quite a while.

Yeah, I was surprised. I must not have seen this list in a while. It used to be the Civic and Camry for about the first 6-7 spots then the Jeep Cherokee then some random vehicles. I know the Ford super dutys are being stolen for illegal immigration purposes but I never thought that all those SUVs would be on the list. I think someone hit the nail on the head with the aftermarket parts comment. Hell, you could probably make more money just selling the rims and front clip of one Escalade than they used to make stealing and parting out 3 civics.

My question is, why can't AB farking C News put the entire article on one farking page???

Snapperheads.

FTFA:
a thief is eight times more likely to go for the SUV.

GOOD! Take it, burn it, let it swim with the fishies!
It'll be one less GSW on the road

/glorified station wagon

The only reason no one has stolen my Aztek is that I sit in it with my Sig Sauer p200 24/7.


Just try and get my Aztek--I'll be waiting

.

Ah Cadillac. The one thing that brings old white people and young black people together.

Not available for comment

I have a very effective crime deterrent device on my Z- a six speed manual transmission.

Rhawb: Interesting, no Integra or Civic on the list. As I recall, those have been mainstays for quite a while.

The list only covers 2005-2007 model years otherwise the list would never change, the most stolen cars are the ones with the biggest used parts market.

My Focus is not only an unpopular target, mine is filthy, has some minor body damage, and is loaded with clutter.

opiumpoopy
Can someone explain: are GM too mean to put in an immobilizer into the Escalade; or are Escalade owners just to dumb to take their key out of the ignition when they get out of the vehicle?

labman
I would suspect owners of those vehicles are the most likely to 'pimp' their rides, so stealing them provides lots of easily sellable parts to others who also want to pimp their rides

Ikam
Why is it that all of the most stolen cars are hideous cars I'd never consider owning nor do I know anyone who has ever owned.


To answer all of these questions, take a look at the demographic who are buying these cars. It's mostly hood rats and ghetto people, or at least the wannabes. Labman came the closest. Yeah, not only do these types of cars have the goodies, but they're usually more accessable to theieves because they're in bad neighborhoods, are owned by morons who are too stupid to know how to secure their property, and are desired by only slightly more clever morons who want to steal them to transform their bargain-basement Tahoes into Escalades by grafting over the front clips and interior pieces.

If you've been driving some shiat-box rattle-trap for years that no one wanted, you've probably learned lots of bad habits when it comes to keeping your vehicle safe. Leaving doors unlocked, keys in ignitions, etc...

Mad Scientist: I have a very effective crime deterrent device on my Z- a six speed manual transmission.

This. Also, great for when nearby freeloaders want to borrow your car.

Here Here, Mad Scientist and potee

smerfnablin: FYI, my wife's uncle owns a repo business and he says that the most repo-ed car this season is the Hummer H3

Did people get great deals on those off the lot and forget to pay their bills or something?

We can safely say that anyone who buys a Hummer in the first place isn't exactly a rocket scientist. Then high gas prices come along and absolutely demolish any chance of reselling it.

It's probably cheaper to just let it be repossessed.

Tom_Slick: Rhawb: Interesting, no Integra or Civic on the list. As I recall, those have been mainstays for quite a while.

The list only covers 2005-2007 model years otherwise the list would never change, the most stolen cars are the ones with the biggest used parts market.

I know in NJ they were stealing the doors off of camrys because very few went to the junk yard compared to the amount that were in accidents (but still fixable).

I remember seeing some articles on that a couple of years ago, I don't know if it is still happening. But apparently the doors alone were worth a couple of thousand.

TheJowens: Don't they credit check those people?

To be honest, it's probably cheaper for them to sell the car and deal with the repo. If they ran credit checks they wouldn't get any money because no one stupid enough to buy a Hummer right now has any credit to speak of.

potee: Mad Scientist: I have a very effective crime deterrent device on my Z- a six speed manual transmission.

This. Also, great for when nearby freeloaders want to borrow your car.

We used to call it a "(racially charged offensive word that begins with the letter N) button". I could have left the A4 on MLK Blvd with the windows down for days at a time and all they could jack are the radio and wheels.

/not racist, just commenting on the target demographic of the article

tweekster: I know in NJ they were stealing the doors off of camrys because very few went to the junk yard compared to the amount that were in accidents (but still fixable).

I remember seeing some articles on that a couple of years ago, I don't know if it is still happening. But apparently the doors alone were worth a couple of thousand.

The rear wheel drive Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme topped the list for 10 years after it was out of production for similar reasons. Stripped down it was worth a lot.

dofus: We can safely say that anyone who buys a Hummer in the first place isn't exactly a rocket scientist. Then high gas prices come along and absolutely demolish any chance of reselling it.

It's probably cheaper to just let it be repossessed.

the H3 has the same 6 cylinder engine the mid size Chevy Colorado has in it. I think it gets 20 mpg on the highway. While that isn't spectacular, it isn't horrendous, either.

It's the original Hummer and the H2 that have truly shiatty gas mileage. The H3 is a farking minivan with square edges.

"Escalade owners are known to add premium audio equipment, flashy rims, extra chrome and interior accessories as well. "
And who would that be?

iwanttoeatyourchildren: And who would that be?

Guys who like big butts?

I had a buddy who's dad was in the car theft department of the police department. When another friend's ignition went out on his Ford Bronco, the cop showed us how to bypass it and start the car with only a screw driver. He said it worked for all Ford trucks built before 95 or 97.

It was awesome.

iwanttoeatyourchildren: "Escalade owners are known to add premium audio equipment, flashy rims, extra chrome and interior accessories as well. "
And who would that be?

Knew a guy who rigged his truck with explosives. If somebody jacked it, it would blow the perp up real good.

mreuther: Knew a guy who rigged his truck with explosives. If somebody jacked it, it would blow the perp up real good.

I'm assuming your use of the past tense ('knew') is an indication of the perils of this idea?

HBK: I had a buddy who's dad was in the car theft department of the police department. When another friend's ignition went out on his Ford Bronco, the cop showed us how to bypass it and start the car with only a screw driver. He said it worked for all Ford trucks built before 95 or 97.

It was awesome.

Chevys before 94 were really easy too. All you have to do is take the plastic panel underneath the steering wheel and feel up by the column for a metal rod. Push metal rod forward, car cranks. Anyone else here know what I'm talking about?

The reaffirms my theory that Subarus and Volvos are invisible. I have owned either one or the other my whole life and never got pulled over in them. Meanwhile, they were constantly being hit while parked.

I'm sure a certain percentage of these end up stripped down in some ghetto, but I would bet a good amount end up on a boat to europe or other parts of the world. I have shipped a few american cars to Germany (mostly classics) and I know they pay a HUGE premium for large American SUVs. Newark NJ is the auto left capital of the world due to its socio-economics and proximity to the port.

whoa, whoa, whoa. What the hell happened to all the years of Toyota Camrys, Honda Civics, and Honda Accords being stolen? Those guys are always on top, year after year.

Not ready for the Forbes-roll slide show? Here's the most stolen car in the near recent past, and the soon to be future.

mccallcl: The reaffirms my theory that Subarus and Volvos are invisible. I have owned either one or the other my whole life and never got pulled over in them. Meanwhile, they were constantly being hit while parked.

I got a ticket in my Volvo last week, on the way to trade it in for a BMW.