California and Mercedes-Benz: Car Theft Magnets

EVA
All right, so picture this, right, a whole line of those like really nice cars, you know, BMWs, Mercedes, maybe even a Lexus or two, right? Which one do you think is like most likely to catch a car thief’s eye? You might be surprised. Our deep dive today takes us into the world of luxury car theft. And we’re going undercover, basically, with data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. OK. They’re also known as the NICB, right? Right.

MAX
And this data is from between 2009 and 2012, by the way, to uncover some surprising trends.

EVA
Yeah. What I think is so interesting about this data is that it like, takes us past this idea of car theft as like, you know, some random thing.

MAX
It gives us a glimpse into like, you know, the minds of, like what we might call the criminal connoisseurs of cars. Oh, OK.

EVA
They have their preferences. Oh, so it’s not just like a quick smash and grab? So you’re telling me there’s a method to the madness? Exactly.

MAX
Like for example, the report found that almost half, like nearly half of all the luxury cars that were stolen were in the compact luxury category. OK, so think those sportier sedans, not those big SUV’s. But here’s where it gets interesting. 1 brand just one dominates those top three most stolen vehicles. Oh, this is like luxury car theft trivia.

EVA
It is. OK, give me it. Give me. It Let’s just say if you’re thinking of a car with a threeointed star on the hood, you’re on the right track.

MAX
Mercedes-Benz?

EVA
You’re kidding. Not at all. The Mercedes-Benz C Class it takes the crown.

MAX
Oh wow, 485 reported thefts. Wow.

EVA
So that’s like, imagine like a whole parking lot, right? Yeah. And it’s just full of stolen C classes, and that’s how many we’re talking about. Exactly.

MAX
Wow, that’s a lot of missing Mercedes.

EVA
It is a lot.

MAX
So what is it about the C Class that makes it so, I don’t know, appealing to thieves?

EVA
Yeah.

MAX
Is it just that there are so many of them on the road, right?

EVA
Or is there something else going on? Is the $1,000,000 question, is it how the car is designed, you know, the security features or maybe even like the demand for parts on the black market?

MAX
There’s some theories out there that certain luxury car parts, they’re easier to like ship places, right? Right.

EVA
And harder to track, making them, you know, a lot more valuable and and lucrative for international crime rings.

MAX
Wow.

EVA
It’s a bit of a puzzle, honestly, trying to figure out what makes a specific car hot on the stolen car market. OK, so we’ve got the Mercedes C Class at the top of the list, right?

MAX
What about second place? Coming in a very close second, it’s another familiar name.

EVA
OK, it’s the BMW 3 Series 471 thefts. So it seems like German engineering, right?

MAX
Yeah, it’s amazing to own, but tempting to steal, right? But this is making me a little nervous honestly. Does this mean that like if you’re driving a Mercedes or a BMW, you’re practically guaranteed to get it stolen? Not necessarily.

EVA
I mean remember this is data from a specific time. And trends can change, but it does highlight something super important, like understanding these patterns.

MAX
It helps us make better decisions about all sorts of things, you know, from the car we buy to how we try to protect it. Knowledge, as they say, is power, right? OK, so we know back then, you know, from 2009 to 2012, German cars, they’re like the top of the list for thieves, right?

EVA
But does it make a difference where you live? Like if you live and say, I don’t know Montana, are you less likely to, you know, have your car stolen than someone like in California or something? That’s a great question.

MAX
And it gets right to like how important location is in, you know, understanding these car theft trends. It’s not just about what kind of car it is, right, but also about where those cars and those car thieves are. Makes sense?

EVA
You know, all right, so spill the beans. Where were most of these luxury car thefts happening? Well, let’s just say that car thieves, they seem to really like the West Coast, especially California.

MAX
During, you know, the time of the study, California had 1063 luxury car thefts. Wow, that’s.

EVA
That’s a.

MAX
Lot. That’s a ton, yeah.

EVA
But California is like a big state, you know? It is. It makes you wonder if it’s just that like, there are more cars there, right? Like more cars in general, more luxury cars, you know? Yeah, that’s what a lot of people think, OK.

MAX
And while, yeah, population, how many people are there? It definitely plays a part, right? It’s not the whole story, OK? Remember those core based statistical areas we mentioned earlier, those Cdsas? Right.

EVA
Those are like what? Like little mini regions and states, right? Yeah, exactly. Think of them like, you know, economic population hubs in a state.

MAX
OK.

EVA
And when we look at the Cdsas, New York, the metro area there actually is in the lead for luxury car thefts.

MAX
Wow, 806 compared to California’s 1063. Interesting, So even though like California had more thefts overall, certain places in New York were even hotter for car theft?

EVA
Right.

MAX
OK, so why is that?

EVA
Well, think of it this way, OK, CBS, as they often have more, you know, wealth concentrated there, right?

MAX
And that means a lot more luxury cars. Right, right.

EVA
So it’s like a magnet for these thieves because they’re looking for a specific type of car to steal.

MAX
Oh.

EVA
OK.

MAX
Plus these big metro areas, they tend to have, you know, more complex transportation, right? Like all those highways and stuff. Yeah, makes it easier to get a car out of there fast. So you’ve got all the cars, you’ve got these like really motivated thieves, right?

EVA
And you have a way to get them out of there quickly. It’s true. It’s like the perfect recipe for car theft. It kind of is, but.

MAX
What about those cars that, like, actually do get stolen? Yeah.

EVA
What are the odds of getting it back? That’s what everyone wants to know, right?

MAX
And every situation is different, of course, right? But the data from that time, it’s actually kind of hoeful. The recovery rate was 83.7%. Wait, 83.7%?

EVA
Yeah, that’s way higher than I thought. So you’re saying there’s like a good chance, Like if your car gets stolen you might get it back?

MAX
Yeah, there’s a decent chance, but keep in mind recovered doesn’t always mean it’s in perfect condition.

EVA
Right, right. Of course. Right. Right.

MAX
Some they find in a couple days OK, others it takes months, maybe even years.

EVA
Wow.

MAX
And some well, they just never see them again.

EVA
So what explains the high recovery rate?

MAX
Yeah.

EVA
Are they? Are they just like taking them for a joyride and then dumping them?

MAX
Sometimes really.

EVA
Yeah, it can’t just be joy rides though, can it? What’s the real story behind all these recovered cars?

MAX
Well, yeah, like I said, sometimes it is like a joyride, OK, just a crime of opportunity. But the data seems to show something a little more, I don’t know, organized going on.

EVA
OK.

MAX
Some cars are stolen because they want the parts, OK, especially the ones with those high demand parts, the ones that are easy to resell. Makes sense. They just, you know, script it for parts and then whatever’s left, they just dump it.

EVA
So it’s like some kind of like high stakes game of car Lego or something, but instead of building something new, they’re taking it apart basically. So what happens to the cars that aren’t recovered, right? You know those like missing pieces?

MAX
Yeah, those are often the cases that are a bit more troubling. OK, we’re usually talking about organized crime here, right? Those guys, they treat stolen cars like, like it’s nothing.

EVA
Wow.

MAX
They’ll ship from overseas, resell them with a new ID and everything, forged documents, you know, new VIN number, the works.

EVA
Wow, so your stolen Mercedes could end up like on the other side of the planet, completely unrecognizable?

MAX
Exactly.

EVA
It’s kind of creepy when you think about.

MAX
It it is a little unsettling. And then there’s the fact that, you know, some of the cars that don’t get recovered were probably used in other crimes.

EVA
Oh, right.

MAX
If you look at the states with the most unrecovered luxury vehicles, it’s interesting. New Jersey is at the top about 158, then Florida 155, then New York 113 and California 111.

EVA
Right. Not exactly places known for their lack of organized crime, if you know what I mean.

MAX
Right. And while I don’t want to get all conspiracy theory on you, it’s a good reminder that car theft isn’t always just about, you know, making a quick buck, right? It can be like a a gateway into like a bigger, more complex criminal world all.

EVA
Right. So we’ve gone from, like interest in Carfax to international crime rings.

MAX
It’s true.

EVA
Let’s bring it back to our listeners, right?

MAX
Yeah, Yeah.

EVA
What does this all mean for them? Even if they aren’t, you know, driving around in a Mercedes or something?

MAX
I mean, that’s the question, right? This data, it might be from a while back, OK, but what we can learn from it is still true today. It’s all about understanding that stealing cars, it’s not some random thing, right? There are patterns, there are preferences, there’s even like, I don’t know strategies involved, but.

EVA
It’s not just about what you drive, it’s about where you drive, how you protect it, even maybe like a bit of luck, right? Yeah.

MAX
Yeah, and knowledge. Knowledge is power, right? Don’t let all these statistics freak you out, but let them, like, help you know what’s going on. You know, think about what’s around you. And never, ever underestimate a good security system.

EVA
Right. Be one step ahead.

MAX
Exactly.

EVA
And if there’s like one thing that we’ve learned today in this deep dive, it’s that even a little awareness goes a long way. So next time you’re, like, parking your car, doesn’t matter if it’s like, fancy or not, right? Take a second, appreciate how complex it is. Yeah. And maybe give that security system a quick test, you know?

MAX
Good idea. Always better to be safe than sorry. That’s what I always say.

EVA
Absolutely. And on that note, we’ll leave you with this. How much do you think car theft has, you know, changed since 2012? Are we seeing the same things or other new things popping up? Let us know what you think. And until next time, happy driving everyone and stay safe.