Toyota Highlander tops most stolen vehicles in country, report says

Équité Association unveiled the list of the 10 cars most popular with thieves in Canada in 2023, in a new report published Tuesday. The Toyota Highlander topped the list, overtaking the Honda CR-V which had been there for two years.

The Toyota Highlander is popular in Canada, notes the report. In 2023, 123,532 vehicles of this model were insured there.

Jacques Lamontagne, specialist in car theft investigations at Équité Association, notes that it is a luxurious vehicle with a fairly attractive resale value both locally and abroad.

The Toyota dethroned the Honda CR-V, possibly because demand in other countries for this vehicle is higherhe indicates. This shows us that criminals adapt to the market and that certain companies have succeeded, by certain means, in reducing their rate of penetration into theft.adds the expert.

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Regulations obsolete

The vehicles that appear on the list are all quite new and are more vulnerable, in particular because of keyless starting systems, notes the report.

The federal regulation on motor vehicle safety, ULC Standard 338, is obsolete and needs to be updated to reflect current flying methods, it says.

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According to Mr. Lamontagne, we must adopt technologies that make it possible to block access to computers that make up today’s vehicles. He cites, for example, two-factor authentication systems to start the vehicle.

Manufacturers should, in our opinion, do their part by strengthening the original protection of their vehicleadds Jesse Caron, automotive expert at CAA Quebec. It is no longer enough today to have an immobilizer as has been mandatory since 2007. We must go further so that smart key systems are better protected against intrusions.

Four-pronged approach

Between 2021 and 2023, auto theft increased by 48.2% in Ontario, according to the organization. However, in the first half of 2024, flights have decreased by around 17% across Canada, indicates Jacques Lamontagne.

The efforts put in place on the three aspects on which the federal action plan was based, that is to say the exchange of information, police interventions and work on laws and regulations, seem to be bearing fruit.affirms Jacques Lamontagne.

Currently, we have made gains, but the war is not won. We must continue to put pressure on criminal groups to interrupt their trade.

Equity Association recommends using a multi-pronged approach, which consists of four categories: simple measures, anti-theft devices, immobilizer systems and tracking devices.

Jacques Lamontagne reminds us of the importance of simple measures such as locking your vehicle, not leaving it running or even parking it in a lit place.

When people have two vehicles at home, they can also use one to block the other, adds Jesse Caron. He also recommends using an anti-theft bar, putting smart keys in a box that blocks the signal to prevent thieves from being able to intercept it, or installing a lock on the diagnostic port to prevent thieves from extracting it. data from the computer to create a copy of the key.

It is also necessary to put in place technical means such as brake pedal retention systems, an engine cut-off as well as immobilizer, alarm and tracking systems, explains Mr. Lamontagne.