Honda makes a lot of great, affordable cars for the average consumer, and there are generally very few flaws with these cars. That said, when consumers are shopping for a used car, they should be wary of a few Honda models. Here’s a look at the massive theft problem that’s plaguing old Honda models. 

A lot of stolen Honda models

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, or the NICB, old Honda models are dominating in an area that Honda probably doesn’t want to brag about.

On the NICB’s top 10 list of the most stolen cars in 2019, three Honda models made it onto its list. When Honda as an automaker is compared to the other automakers on the list, Honda is also in the lead as the most stolen automaker on the NICB’s list.

Unsurprisingly, the three most popular Honda models to get stolen are the Civic, the Accord, and the CR-V. These are also some of the most popular Honda models in general, so it makes sense that these would get stolen often. That said, things get worse for Honda when the NICB broke down its analysis by model year.

In terms of the model years of cars that get stolen the most often, Honda dominated the others even more. The 2000 Civic, the 1997 Accord, and the 2001 CR-V were all more popular targets for car thefts than the newer model years were. The reason these used car models get stolen so often is simple, however. 

Why these used Honda models get stolen so much

When the NICB broke down its list by model year, a trend emerged. The older model years of cars were stolen more often than the newer model years were.

Of course, new cars aren’t perfectly safe from thieves and new cars still got stolen, but old cars were still the most common target for car thieves. This makes a lot of sense since new cars typically have some sort of anti-theft technology that makes it harder for thieves to steal. 

Since some of those Hondas are over 20 years old now, it don’t come with much in terms of tech. And if it did, there’s no guarantee that the owner of the car has kept their car in tip-top shape.

Furthermore, simply by being so popular, these Hondas also make themselves a bigger target for thieves, since there are simply so many Hondas for them to steal. 

Of course, newer Honda models are safer from thieves, but some folks probably can’t afford a newer model if they’re considering a used 1997 Accord. That being said, there are some safety tips that the NICB gave out that may help used car shoppers to protect their old Hondas.

What owners can do to prevent a car from being stolen

The NICB has a four-layer solution that can help owners protect their car from theft. The first layer is to have some common sense in where and how to park your car.

Obviously, owners should lock the doors, roll up the windows, and take the keys out of the ignition. The second layer is to install a warning device, like an alarm or a wheel lock. This is a deterrent as it’ll tell thieves that your car is protected, according to the NICB.

The third layer is to get an immobilizing device for your car. These devices can be similar to smart keys or fuel cut-offs, and they’ll help prevent car thieves from rolling away with your precious car.

Finally, and more simply, the fourth layer of protection is to install a tracking device on your car. If the thieves somehow get away with it, at least you can track it and hopefully, retrieve it.