Most-stolen cars
Older Hondas and Toyotas still popular with car thieves, but half the top ten are light trucks.

November 8, 2005; Posted: 1:41 p.m. EST (1841 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The 1995 Honda Civic was the most-stolen car during 2004, according to statistics from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Of the top 10 most-stolen vehicles last year, six were Japanese brands. All four domestic vehicles on the list are light trucks, including one minivan. The NICB statistics are based on data from the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

The large number of Honda Civics on the road probably accounts for its appearance at the top of a list like this, said Chris Naughton, a spokesman for Honda.

Popularity and longevity have a lot to do with a vehicle's popularity as a theft target, agreed Frank Scafidi, a spokesman for the NICB. Not only are there more vehicles available to steal, but as vehicles get older they require parts more frequently, creating demand for parts taken from stolen cars.

Overall, motor vehicle theft was down 1.9 percent compared to 2003, according to NICB. A total of 1,237,114 personal motor vehicles were reported stolen in 2004, which was 23,357 fewer than in the previous year. The western United States, however, posted a 3.2 percent increase in vehicle thefts, according to the NICB.

Types of vehicles stolen can vary by the region and state, said Scafidi. For example, the 1999 Bombardier Ski-Doo snowmobile was one of the ten most-stolen vehicles in Maine, he said. In most Midwestern states, cars from Detroit-based manufacturers dominate the most-stolen cars lists with few, if any, foreign cars making the top ten.

Most stolen cars 2004

Click for vehicle details and photos

1. 1995 Honda Civic

2. 1989 Toyota Camry*

3. 1991 Honda Accord

4. 1994 Dodge Caravan

5. 1994 Chevrolet Full Size C/K 1500 pick-up

6. 1997 Ford F150 pickup

7. 2003 Dodge Ram pick-up

8. 1990 Acura Integra

9. 1988 Toyota pick-up*

10. 1991 Nissan Sentra

*Data not available for model years prior to 1990