INSURANCE THEFT REPORT: 1989-91 PASSENGER CARS, CARGO VANS, PICKUPS, AND UTILITY VEHICLES

This report presents theft data for 1989-91 passenger cars, cargo vans, pickups, and utility vehicles. Highlights from the report are as follows: Average loss payments per insured vehicle year ranged from about $1 to more than $200; theft claim frequencies ranged from less than 1 to nearly 100 claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years; and average payments per theft claim varied from about $550 to nearly $23,000. Two different patterns of theft claims are reflected in the data: the theft of components such as radios and the theft of complete vehicles, which may or may not be recovered. Over the three model years, 1989-1991, declines in theft claim frequencies have been more than offset by increases in average loss payments per claim. In general, cars with the lowest overall theft losses are four-door models and station wagons, mostly small and midsize models. Sports cars and luxury models dominate the list of cars with the highest theft losses. As a group, large utility vehicles, consisting entirely of Chevrolet and GMC Suburban models, had by far the worst insurance theft losses. Their average loss payment per claim exceeded the "all-passenger-car" result by a factor of four and their average loss payment per insured vehicle year was more than seven times the result for all passenger cars. Small pickups have the lowest average loss payment per insured vehicle year and the lowest average loss payment per claim. Small utility vehicles have the highest frequency of theft claims. For individual vehicle series, the Nissan Pathfinder 4x4, an intermediate utility vehicle, has the highest theft losses. Its average loss payment per insured vehicle year is more than 10 times the result for all passenger cars and its average loss payment per claim is over $12,000. The Dodge Dakota pickup has the lowest overall theft losses.

• Corporate Authors:

  Highway Loss Data Institute

  1005 North Glebe Road
  Arlington, VA  United States  22201
• Publication Date: 1992-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: 42 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Insurance claims; Pickup trucks; Theft; Utility vehicles; Vans; Vehicle components
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00626654
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: T91-1, HS-041 324
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 26 1993 12:00AM