Cadillac Escalade Makes the List of Thieves' Most Wanted Vehicles

It looks like the Cadillac Escalade is on top of the list of thieves’ favorite large pickup trucks. The Escalade has been dominating for years the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLD) list of vehicles with the most theft claims. Also, 4 versions of the luxury SUV appear at the top this time.

The Escalade EXT, which has a pick up bed, is ranked worst, with more than 14 claims per 1,000 insured years, or more than 8 times the average.

An insured vehicle years is 1 vehicle insured for 1 year, 2 for six months, etc. Also Pickups are favorites among thieves. The Ford F-250 crew cab 4-wheel-drive comes in second to the Escalade with the most theft claims.

Pickups have much higher theft losses than passenger cars and SUV ($24 per insured year versus $9 and $12, respectively). Though from 2007 to 2009 pickup losses fell substantially. The decrease could be caused by the fact that the vehicles come fitted with immobilizers, which prevent vehicles from being hot-wired.

"Immobilizers are a good deterrent against joy-riding teenagers, but professional thieves can easily haul away an SUV on a flatbed truck. A pickup that can't be driven away is still vulnerable to having tools and cargo snatched from its bed," Highway Loss Data Institute senior vice president Kim Hazelbaker.

The most targeted car, not counting luxury and sports cars, is the Chrysler 300, followed by the Chrysler 300 HEMI the Dodge Charger HEMI and the Nissan Maxima. The vehicles list with the lowest claim frequencies is being topped by the Audi A6 quattro sedan and the Mercury Mariner.