• Most stolen car figures released
• Commodores fill seven of top 15 spots
• Vehicle theft has dropped in recent years

EVEN car thieves prefer Commodores. Australia’s most popular family sedan has topped an insurance poll of the most stolen car.

An analysis of AAMI insurance claims showed early model Holden Commodores filled seven of the top 15 most stolen models in NSW, rising to nine out of 15 on a national basis.

The most popular target for thieves was the 1999 VT Commodore Executive, with 90 claims in NSW and 150 across the country, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Hyundai’s 1996 Excel (87) was second in NSW while another Commodore, the 1998 VT Berlina took silver on a national basis.

Ford’s Falcon was ignored by NSW thieves, missing a spot on the top 15 table. But the Blue Oval’s 1999 AU Forte was ranked third nationally, with 128 stolen.

AAMI corporate affairs manager Mike Sopinski said it wasn’t surprising 1990s makes and models featured prominently on the list.
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“Vehicle theft has dropped remarkably over the past 10 years, primarily because of advances in technology and theft deterrents such as engine immobilisers,” he said.

Mr Sopinski said the dominance of Commodores on the list had nothing to do with a lack of security.

“They are a victim of their popularity, with professional thieves seeking to cash in on strong demand for spare parts,” he said.

The AAMI data mirrored National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council figures, which showed three times as many Commodores than Falcons were stolen so far this year.

According to the council’s figures, 1767 Commodores were stolen compared to 507 Falcons and 288 Hyundai Excels.

Mr Sopinski said there are some simple steps owners can take to make their cars less appealing to thieves.

“At a basic level, drivers can be doing a lot more to keep their car safe and secure, such as parking in well-lit places, always locking doors and windows, and keeping personal items like sunglasses, handbags and portable music devices hidden,” she said.

While commonsense steps are effective, more sophisticated theft deterrents such as car alarms and engine immobilisers offer the best protection from car thieves, according to Mr Sopinski.

“Three in five drivers have an immobiliser fitted to their car and two in five have an alarm . . . typically these devices are standard features of most new cars, which explain why so few new cars are stolen,” he said.

Industry figures show that engine immobilisers are fitted to about 45 per cent of all vehicles in Australia, but only 7 per cent of stolen vehicles have the devices.

Source: News