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Top Stolen Vehicle List; Imports Again Dominate List; Minivans and SUVs Gain in Popularity with Thieves

    CHICAGO--March 19, 2003--In 2002, for the fourth time in the last five years, the 1989 Toyota Camry topped the target list of auto thieves, reported CCC Information Services Inc. The 1989 Camry bumps last year's most stolen vehicle, the 1991 Toyota Camry, to the No. 2 slot in 2002. The percentage of total losses due to theft declined last year, falling three percent, according to CCC's data analysis.
    CCC, a technology provider to the automotive-claims and collision-repair industry, identifies the most-stolen vehicles each year by analyzing total losses submitted to it by more than 350 property and casualty insurers in North America. In 2002, CCC valued an average of more than 6,400 vehicles a day. It bases its report on vehicles stolen and deemed a total loss or those never recovered. CCC doesn't include such temporary auto-related thefts as "joy-rides" or theft of car items such as stereos.
    "We process nearly a million claims-related transactions each day, giving us a wealth of theft and collision data which allows us to provide awareness to consumers regarding vehicle trends such as theft," said Mary Jo Prigge, CCC's president of sales and service.

    In 2002, according to the latest report:

-- Toyota and Honda models comprised 20 of the top 25 most-stolen vehicles. The Honda Accord is the most stolen vehicle regardless of model year and the 1987 Toyota Camry is the oldest car to make the top 100 list, coming in at No. 25.
-- Of the four domestic vehicles to make the top 25 list, all are trucks. The 1994 Chevrolet C1500 4X2, 1997 Ford F150 4X2, 2001 Ford F150 4x2 and 1997 Chevrolet C1500 4x2. And, Chevrolet continues to lead as the most-stolen make regardless of model, comprising more than 14 percent of total theft volume.
-- Minivans and sport utility vehicles continue to gain the attention of thieves, reflecting their continued growth in popularity, as 2002 marked a 10 percent increase in thefts since 2000.
-- Thefts of full-sized models and "muscle cars," like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, continue to slide, reflecting their fall-off in popularity with consumers.

    "Though we cannot determine with absolute certainty the reason for vehicle theft, trends suggest that cars are often stolen for the value of their parts," Prigge said. "Vehicle theft historically follows consumers' choices, which is reflected in the popularity of imports and the gaining popularity of minivans and SUVs among thieves."
    Toyotas and Hondas lead the most-stolen list likely due to their popularity with consumers. But these cars are also popular with thieves because they tend to have interchangeable parts amongst their model years, creating a profitable market for replacement parts.
    In the top 100 most stolen cars, a clustering of Toyota and Honda model-years highlights the potential interchangeable nature and demand for their parts. The 1987-1991 Camry models and Civics from model years 1993-2000 all are represented in the top 100. This cluster points out that a bumper, for example, from a 1987 Camry is likely to fit a different Camry model year.
    Minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have seen an increase in thefts in 2002, with thefts of these models in the top 100 increasing 10 percent since 2000. Conversely, thefts of full-sized models and "muscle cars" are decreasing. The Chevy Camaro, for instance, was the 36th most stolen car last year, down from the 16th most stolen vehicle in 1997. The full-sized model with the largest drop in theft regardless of model year is the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, falling to number 40 from No. 7 in 1997.

    State-Level Vehicle Theft

    CCC also breaks down vehicle theft to the state level.

    -- In California, which has the highest theft volume in the
    country, thieves historically prefer imports - a trend that
    continued in 2002. Like the nation, the state's most stolen
    vehicle was the 1989 Toyota Camry. Only four domestic cars
    appeared in the state's top 25 list - 1993 Saturn SL, 1994
    Chevrolet C1500 4x2, 1994 Saturn SL, and the 1995 Saturn SL.

    -- New York car thieves also prefer imports. In 2002, 23 of the
    top 25 most stolen vehicles in the state were imports.

    -- Mirroring consumer choice in Texas, pickup trucks dominated
    the state's most-stolen vehicles, taking the first 11 slots
    and 20 of the top 25. The most stolen vehicle was the 1994
    Chevrolet C1500 4x2.

    -- In Michigan, domestic cars are a favorite. Of the top 50 most
    stolen vehicles there, all are domestic cars.

    About CCC

    CCC Information Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CCC Information Services Group , headquartered in Chicago, IL, is a leading supplier of advanced software, communications systems, Internet and wireless-enabled technology solutions to the automotive claims and collision repair industries. Its technology-based products and services optimize efficiency throughout the entire claims management supply chain and facilitate communication amongst more than 15,000 collision repair facilities, 350 insurance companies, and a range of industry participants. For more information about CCC Information Services Inc., visit our Web site at www.cccis.com; or contact Michelle Hellyar of Ketchum at 312-228-6861 or Thad Woosley of Ketchum at 312-228-6829.


                     Most Stolen Vehicles of 2002
                 Source: CCC Information Services Inc.

Rank            Year            Make            Model
 
 1              1989           TOYOTA           CAMRY 
 2              1991           TOYOTA           CAMRY 
 3              1990           TOYOTA           CAMRY 
 4              2000           HONDA            CIVIC SI 
 5              1994           HONDA            ACCORD EX 
 6              1994           CHEVROLET        C1500 4X2 
 7              1995           HONDA            ACCORD EX 
 8              1988           TOYOTA           CAMRY 
 9              1994           HONDA            ACCORD LX 
 10             1996           HONDA            ACCORD LX 
 11             1997           FORD             F150 4X2 
 12             1996           HONDA            ACCORD EX 
 13             2001           FORD             F150 4X2 
 14             1995           HONDA            CIVIC EX 
 15             1991           HONDA            ACCORD LX 
 16             1999           HONDA            CIVIC SI 
 17             1990           HONDA            ACCORD EX 
 18             1995           HONDA            ACCORD LX 
 19             1992           HONDA            ACCORD LX 
 20             1995           ACURA            INTEGRA GS-R 
 21             1997           HONDA            ACCORD LX 
 22             1997           CHEVROLET        C1500 4X2 
 23             1995           HONDA            CIVIC DX 
 24             1992           HONDA            ACCORD EX 
 25             1987           TOYOTA           CAMRY