New report shows Canada’s most stolen cars

Driving a Honda CR-V, Lexus RX, or Ford F-150 pickup truck? Look out the window to make sure it’s still there. More than any other vehicle on the road, these vehicles are being stolen and sent to the Port of Montreal to be shipped overseas, according to new insurance data.

“The proceeds of this illegal activity fund organized crime and terrorism at home and abroad,” said vice president of investigative services at the Équité Association, a national nonprofit that works with insurance companies to fight fraud. One Bryan Gast said.

Also, “It costs Canadians millions of dollars each year,” he added.

On Monday, Équité released its annual report on car thefts, showing the most stolen cars in 2021.

The sharp increase in theft that began during the pandemic shows no signs of easing. So far this year, more cars and trucks have disappeared from roads, driveways and shopping malls than in previous years.

According to police data, Toronto has a “stolen car epidemic,” said one investigator. Police data showed that as of last week, he had 7,794 cars stolen in the city in 2022, a 43.6% increase over the same period last year.

According to Équité, many of the cars are shipped to Montreal where they are put in containers and sent overseas where they are resold. Ontario, Quebec, or other state license plates are often left bolted on. Vehicles sell for up to three times their original cost.

Équité tracks theft based on insurance claims and releases an annual report nationwide. Here are the top 10 stolen cars across Canada in 2021.

Honda CR-V (4,117)

Lexus RX Series (2,202)

Ford F-150 Series (1,182)

Honda Civic (768)

Toyota Highlander (748)

Ram 1500 Series (509)

Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierra 1500 (410)

Honda Accord (372)

Jeep Grand Cherokee (346)

Toyota RAV4 (334)

The largest increase was in the high-end Lexus RX series, based on the number of vehicles insured compared to vehicle theft rates on the road. In 2021, 6.4% (2,202) of the 34,560 Lexus RXs on the road will be stolen.

By comparison, the Honda CR-V topped the list of most stolen vehicles, with 1.7% (4,117 out of 236,555 on the road) falling prey to thieves.

Honda and Toyota told Star magazine that they continue to grapple with the problem of theft, but their cars are constantly being pinched. It is considered an all-world vehicle. This means you can get service in most countries.

Vehicles with the fewest thefts (for vehicles with a large number of cars and SUVs on the road) include Volvo, Infiniti and Tesla. He will only have two Teslas stolen in 2021. Some manufacturers, such as Tesla, have installed numerous anti-theft devices in their vehicles, according to industry sources.

While successful in some jurisdictions, police sources say car thieves are always one step ahead of authorities, especially in Montreal, where 1,000 cars were recovered last year, and new techniques are being developed all the time. says.

The star’s ongoing investigation has received hundreds of calls and emails from members of the public. Many vehicle owners have even sent home his security video showing the simplicity of the theft.

Cameras usually capture strange cars or people on bicycles loitering by the house early in the morning. According to police, this is a “scout” looking for cars to steal or to see if there are any cars in the driveway that he previously “tagged” using a GPS locator. (The thief tags his Apple Air to cars in the mall so he can easily find it overnight.

Usually between 2am and 6am, the actual thieves (“runners”) show up and another thief drives off.

Different approaches are used for different vehicles. A thief may scan his VIN number displayed on the bottom left of the windshield, walk away, and return with access to a database that helps create a new key fob. Alternatively, thieves use a “relay attack” to get a signal from a key fob inside the house to open the door lock.

Once inside the car, the thief installs diagnostic equipment similar to those used by mechanics in a “port” under the dashboard and programs a new key fob that starts the car.

Some thieves have even more advanced plans. First, use the vice grip tool to break the door he handle of the Ford F-150 pickup and move inside the vehicle. Then install the diagnostic tool and build a new fob. Then they leave.

The truck owner doesn’t know it, but it now has 3 fobs to start picking up instead of the factory preset 2. The owner takes the truck to a Ford dealership and pays for it to be repaired. Once the repaired truck is back in the owner’s driveway, the thief will return and use a third fob to shoo the truck away.

A keen Ford mechanic discovered this while doing a routine maintenance on a customer’s vehicle and found three fobs programmed into the onboard computer. The mechanic regularly checks every truck he sees, just in case.

The Star publishes a list of tips to help vehicle owners.

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