Toronto police have revealed the top ten most commonly stolen vehicles in the city this year.
The list, issued to CTV News Toronto on Wednesday, shows that the vehicle make and model with the most thefts this year is the Honda CR-V. So far, there have been 654 auto theft incidents involving this vehicle, according to police.
The full list, including vehicle makes, models and number of theft incidents, is as follows:
Top 10 Auto Thefts by Vehicle Make and Model
- Honda Cr-V - 654
- Lexus Rx350 - 418
- Honda Civic - 260
- Land Rover Range Rover - 225
- Toyota Highlander - 200
- Ford F150 - 176
- Honda Accord - 145
- Toyota Corolla - 123
- Toyota Rav - 70
- Hyundai Elantra - 62
TIPS TO AVOID CAR THEFT
Toronto police want residents to be aware of a few steps that can be taken to prevent vehicle thefts.
When parking your vehicle, ensure you lock any valuables out of sight, completely close all windows and doors, and turn your wheels to the side to make your vehicle harder to tow.
Police also suggest parking in a well-lit, attended area, if possible.
When at home, utilize a parking garage, if possible, and don’t leave ownership or insurance cards in the vehicle while unattended.
Police also suggest backing into your driveway if you have a rear-wheel drive car and parking front-end first if you have a front-wheel drive car.
NEW THEFT TECHNIQUE
Last week, York police issued a statement detailing a new way in which thieves are using Apple technology to track and eventually steal high-end cars in the area.
In a news release issued Thursday, investigators said they have identified at least five incidents since September where suspects have placed Apple AirTags in “out-of-sight” areas of the vehicles when they are parked in public spaces like malls and parking lots.
Thieves then use the AirTags, a small circular device that can be tracked via the “Find My” app, to locate the vehicle at the victim’s residence.
After the vehicle is located, police said that thieves will use tools like screwdrivers to gain entry through the passenger or driver side door. Once inside, an electronic device that police say is typically used by mechanics to reset a vehicle to factory settings, is connected to the onboard diagnostics port below the dashboard of the car.
From there, the vehicle is programed to accept a key the suspects have brought with them that can then be used to start the car and drive away.
According to York Regional Police, various methods of theft have been used to steal some 2,000 vehicles in the area over the past year.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Phil Tsekouras.
