[Jackrabbit379]

I was signing in to my email, and I noticed this link on the Yahoo homepage. I thought it was interesting.

the-cars-thieves-love-most: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

#1 1994 Honda Accord.

#2 1995 Honda Civic.

#3 1989 Toyota Camry

#4 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup

#5 2004 Dodge Pickup


Honestly, that blew my mind. I never dreamed the Honda's and the Toyota's would be such hot cars.

[Mr. Ford95]

Always have been, especially the Camry.

[Hawkjr]

Shiitttt... The Honda's stay getting jacked!! hell i know a girl who lived in a bad part of richmond that had a 1992 Honda Accord and it got jacked!! and that was a year ago!!

[cdswans]

The Hondas are "hot" because of the cheap metal they use(d) to make their keys. After awhile, all keys fit all cars.

I was at a place on the NJ waterfront and was fascinated by an export company next door that ships US wrecks to eastern Europe where they're rebuilt, retitled and resold. The Toyotas and Hondas were the most popular, by far. Their parts are popular too, I suspect. A lot of F-150 parts are interchangeable over several model years and with their counterpart SUVs. SUVs of all manufacture were the second most popular export.

As a footnote, the guy who was receiving the cars told me the guys bringing the cars in were grossing $600-1000 + per day with a lot of them making 2 trips a day. 4, 5 and 6 car wreckers were typical and they were coming from insurance auctions all over the east coast. Quite a racket if that kind of work interests you.

[Jackrabbit379]

Dang! Good information. I'm glad I aint got one of those cars. :lol:

Originally Posted by cdswans

The Hondas are "hot" because of the cheap metal they use(d) to make their keys. After awhile, all keys fit all cars..

That's kinda like John Deere. Except, all the keys were the same. Up until, around 2001 John Deere's key fit every John Deere. One key fit all. They changed it in 2001-somewhere around there. I'm not sure if it's still that way, or if every different piece of equipment has it's own key now. I've got a John Deere key on my key ring that's probably 20 years old, and I could walk up to any John Deere tractor, combine, etc and start it up. (up to 2001 models)

[Mr. Ford95]

Laser cut keys are a big reason why the high dollar cars are never stolen unless the idiot owner leaves the key in it or are straight car jacked. These days, Ford's can be real tough to get and even tougher to get an extra key made unless you can give them the key code. No code, no key. We have found that different years can open the doors and start our own trucks even though the cut is slightly different on each. Instead of sliding the key all the way in, hold it out slightly and work it around.

[BanditsCousin]

I remember a few years back when my GMC Envoy key would actually open (but NOT start) the Freightliner Columbia I was renting.

This came in handy when I locked my key in the 'shaker at a Mayflower agent in Oklahama. I saw an Envoy in the parking lot and borrowed the receptionist's key and got in



(and I wasn't even hauling ping pong balls!)