Cadillac’s Escalade ranks among the most frequently stolen vehicles when
adjusted for its prevalence on the road. That’s according to new
numbers from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the
insurance industry-sponsored Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS).
The HLDI found that the Escalade has the highest rate of theft
over the last three model years, at 10.3 theft claims per 1,000
vehicles. The average rate of theft for all vehicles came in around 2.6,
according to figures on the IIHS Web site. Dodge’s Stratus earned the
second spot for thieves, with 8.7 theft claims per 1,000, with
Mitsubishi’s Mirage ranking third with 7.2 thefts per 1,000.
Overall, the group found that theft rates are down for the 2002
model year — only 2 per 1,000 vehicles are stolen, versus 15 per 1,000
in 1980 — but haven’t improved significantly in a few years.
