Do you own one of Canada’s most stolen vehicles of 2017? Find out here
Last summer, Don Sinden was jolted from his sleep at about 2 a.m. when he heard noise from the driveway of his Ottawa home. Squinting out his bedroom window, he saw bright lights and a flatbed truck and figured, at first, someone on his normally quiet street was getting towed. Little did Sinden know that his white 2014 Toyota 4Runner Limited was being hauled away — by thieves. By the time he got downstairs and outside, his 4Runner was gone, along with the fast-acting crooks who took his SUV. In the span of a few more months, at least three more 4Runners were stolen within a four-block radius of the same Ottawa neighbourhood.
The trend shows up in the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s (IBC) latest theft report, which says on average a vehicle is stolen every seven minutes across Canada. In Ontario, the top two most stolen last year were the 2016 and 2014 4Runner, followed by the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon of various years, with the Toyota 4Runner showing up again in ninth spot. In Alberta, the vehicles of choice are 2001-2007 Ford F-250 and F-350 pickups (where there are plenty of them) and the 2000 Honda Civic. Canada wide, the most stolen vehicle was the 2015 Lexus GX 460, a luxury version of the 4Runner, trailed by the Ford F-350, F-250 and 4Runner.
In Quebec, the 2015 and 2016 4Runner were also the top two most popular among thieves, followed by Jeep Wranglers and Lexus RX 350s. In the Atlantic Provinces, the Mitsubishi Lancer was the hottest car, followed by the Ram 2500, Ford Explorer, Volkswagen Jetta and several Jeep models.
According to the RCMP, car thefts in Canada are heading higher in several jurisdictions. Dan Service, acting national director of Investigative Services for the IBC, says “the biggest increases were in Yukon, where stolen-vehicle numbers are up 22 per cent, Nunavut where they are up 18 per cent, and Saskatchewan where they are up 15 per cent.”
While Sinden never got his 4Runner back, Ottawa Police — with help from the Montreal and York Regional Police, as well as the Canada Border Services Agency and the Insurance Bureau of Canada — did file a total of 141 charges in December 2017 against an Ottawa man and two people from Montreal, after several Toyota and Lexus SUVs disappeared under similar circumstances in the capital.
In Canada, 78,710 vehicles were stolen in 2016 (the most recent year for which full-year stats are available), down one per cent from 78,849 in 2015 but up from 2014, when about 74,000 policereported motor-vehicle thefts were recorded.
Sometimes, the vehicle is taken simply for a joyride or the need for transportation or to commit another crime, says the IBC. Often, the stolen vehicle is immediately packed with its VIN still intact and shipped overseas, where it is sold.
IBC says the vehicles noted in the box below at right were the top 10 most stolen in Canada, with breakdowns by region. It does not have stats for B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan or the territories.
To prevent theft, the IBC advises for you to:
Lock your vehicle. If left unattended, ■ activate any security systems.
Close windows and sunroof ■ when leaving your vehicle unattended.
Never leave your vehicle running ■ when unattended, even for a second.
Park in well-lit areas.
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If parking in the same lot, park ■ your vehicle in different spots each time.
Never leave the key or fob in the ■ vehicle; always take it with you.
Don’t leave valuables in the ■ vehicle. If you can’t take them, lock them safely out of view.
If you have a garage, park inside. ■
Make sure to keep vehicle and garage doors locked.
Don’t leave your keys by the ■ front door or entrance at home.
Don’t leave personal information ■ in the glove box.