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Texans Love Pickup Trucks, So Do Thieves


What the TV ads touting Texans' love of pickup trucks won't tell you is that so do Texas thieves.

Ford, Chevy and Dodge pickups top the Texas Department of Public Safety's list of most-stolen vehicles last year.

The Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority and its vehicle crime task forces say the latest results continue a yearslong trend supporting the popularity of pickups.

Fourth on the list is the subcompact Honda Civic, followed by a full-size SUV, the Chevrolet Tahoe.

Rounding out the top 10 are the Honda Accord, GMC pickup, Chevy Impala, Toyota Camry and Ford Taurus.

The prevention authority, part of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, says vehicle theft costs Texans more than any other single crime and topped $621 million in 2011.

2012 Texas top 10 stolen vehicles -

1) Ford Pickup
2) Chevrolet Pickup
3) Dodge Pickup
4) Honda Civic
5) Chevrolet Tahoe
6) Honda Accord
7) GMC Pickup
8) Chevrolet Impala
9) Toyota Camry
10) Ford Taurus

According to the Texas Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority, vehicles are stolen for a variety of reasons, and contrary to popular belief most stolen vehicles are several years old. Some are stolen and stripped for parts. Others are stolen and resold by thieves to unsuspecting buyers. Many vehicles are stolen for joyriding, for use in committing other crimes, to perpetrate insurance fraud, to burglarize personal items and documentation, or for any number of other illegitimate purposes.

Vehicle owners should practice prevention techniques such as hiding contents that may be desirable to a thief, locking vehicle doors, and taking keys.

(AP contributed to this report.)