Car theft is unbelievably wack. Modern cars are generally more secure than the old dogs, but car theft still seems to plague many places worldwide and our country. People have even taken to stealing catalytic converters. What is so interesting is that certain cars, trucks, and motorcycles get stolen far more often than others, and it often depends on the region or even the city. Last year in the Greater Detroit area, over 1,000 Dodge Chargers were stolen. 

Keep an eye on your Dodge Charger, it might just roll off without you

The Drive reports that the Highway Loss Data Institue named the Dodge Charger the most stolen car in America. They note that the Charger was five times more likely to wander off than the national average. 

This study found that in the area of southeast Michigan, for 1,000 Chargers to be stolen over the course of the year, that equates to an average of three Chargers a day being stolen. In line with this statistic, The Saline News reported that Chargers are even getting lifted from local dealers, most recently, a pair of highly coveted Scat Pack Chargers. The Saline police department still has no clue who is behind the rash of Charger thefts. 

Are new cars easier to break into? 

Apparently, there is a new method of stealing cars that don’t involve the old “slim-jim” and hot wire. The lowlifes are doing something more sophisticated called relay hacking. This modern burglar kit sounds fancy but is surprisingly crude. According to The Drive, thieves can use these homemade doo-dads to fake a key fob’s signal tricking the car into opening and starting. 

It should come as no surprise that the Charger is so often stolen. The Charger and the second most stolen whip, the Dodge Challenger, earned these spots because of their massive popularity with enthusiasts. The Charger is easily upgradeable but starts at the affordable price of $30,000. Although they start low, the Charger can get pretty pricey, pretty quickly. 

The Dodge Charger carries the muscle car torch well

Both the Charger and Challenger tend to be built by knuckleheads who want their cars to be as loud as possible, but it is in line with the muscle car culture. Both models adhere to the classic line, “there’s no replacement for displacement,” with multiple, huge engine options. Of the six engine options, the Charger has three V8s that make over 450 hp. The largest of all engine options tops off at a monstrous 797 horsepower. The Challenger is similarly equipped with stupid-powerful engines made only for ripping tires to shreds. 

The sheer number of them out on the roads also makes them an easier mark. If there is more to steal, there is more to sell. The Dodge Charger has managed to sell over 70,000 units every year for 11-years straight.

I guess the people of Detroit, Michigan, are still living by the old “motor city” name. Either way, I hope Dodge can get a more secure system for these cars so the folks that buy them can hang on to them a little longer.