Texas Pickup Trucks Stolen the Most: NICB Report

Pickup trucks may not be the “official vehicle” of the state of Texas, but if the state had one, the truck would certainly be in the running for official status.

Besides being popular with drivers in Texas, they are also popular with thieves. More pickups are stolen in Texas than in any other state, according to a new report released by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

Pickups are also a favorite target nationwide. Between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2013, 9,441 pickup trucks were reported stolen. During that time, 8,367 full-sized pickup trucks were stolen, 895 compact pickups were nabbed, and 179 mid-sized pickup trucks were taken.

The report looks at theft data for truck model years 2011, 2012 and 2013 stolen between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2013.

The classes of pickups are compact, mid-size and full size as described in Automotive News’ Data Center. Compact pickup trucks included Nissan Frontier and Toyota Tacoma. Mid-sized pickups included Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon. Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, Ford F Series, GMC Sierra, Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra were classified as full-sized pickups.

Of the 9,441 total pickup thefts, 4,428 were of the 2011 model year, 3,235 were of the 2012 model year, and 1,778 were of the 2013 model year.

Texas had the highest number of pickup thefts with 2,130 — representing nearly 23 percent of all pickup thefts in the United States. California came in second with 1,676 thefts, followed by Florida with 522.

The top theft Core-Based Statistical Area (CBSA) was Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif., with 455 thefts, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas, with 322 thefts, and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas, with 274 thefts.