4 in 10 Canadians say theft is a risk factor in vehicle purchasing: Nanos

CTV National News: High theft car brands Kamil Karamali explains how an uncontrollable rash of car thefts is affecting consumer trends.

As many as four out of 10 Canadians say it is "important" to know if a vehicle they're interested in purchasing is more likely to be targeted by thieves, according to a new Nanos Research survey.

Meanwhile, one-third (34 per cent) say it is not an important factor in making a vehicle purchase while nearly one in five Canadians remained neutral on the question.

"This shows that consumers are more aware about vehicle theft than ever and they're actually now looking at it when they're making their selections of a vehicle," Elliott Silverstein, manager of government relations at the Canadian Automobile Association, said in an interview with CTV National News on Friday.

"We do see a lot of SUVs, we see a lot of luxury vehicles and pickup trucks that are very attractive for thieves," added Silverstein.

The survey also found that Ontario and Quebec have a higher percentage of respondents who think whether a vehicle is more likely targeted by thieves is an important factor before purchasing one.

45 per cent of Ontarians and 44.5 per cent of Quebec residents surveyed say they would like to know whether a make and model of a vehicle is more susceptible to becoming targeted by carjackers.

"To me this speaks to the fact that those two provinces are probably ground zero for a lot of this activity in terms of stolen vehicles," Nik Nanos, head of Nanos Research, said in an interview with CTV National News on Friday.

That's compared to only a quarter of those in Atlantic Canada -- and roughly one-third of respondents wanting to know that data prior to a vehicle purchase.

An estimated 90,000 vehicles are reported stolen every year in Canada, according to the federal government.

While the Insurance Bureau of Canada says that auto thefts resulted in $1.2 billion in insurance claims in 2022, which is three times more than just four years prior.

"This serves as an opportunity for drivers to take that extra step now as they're making a purchase -- call your insurance company and ask, 'Is the car model I'm looking at a higher risk and will I be paying more for it?'" added Silverstein.

In the latest federal budget, the government earmarked $28 million to help stop the export of stolen vehicles from Canada.