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Sunday, March 9, 2014

You don't want your make and model car on this list!

Honda Accord 1994-One of Honda's most popular models is twenty years old.

This car was one of Honda's most popular which retains its ownership satisfaction even after twenty years. People just don't want to give them up, and it continues to be a smart design. If it were a song it would be a Gold album, but all of those things are also its problems.

Insurance companies keep all sorts of statistics, and unfortunately the 1994 Honda Accord was the car most stolen during 2010 in The United States, and probably elsewhere as well.. Why? Because getting replacement parts from dealers is becoming difficult as this car has now outlived its projected lifespan. But, try telling that to proud and happy owners who want to keep it running, especially as the world economy is still in crisis. To make matters worse, this was a car that was manufactured before vehicle security became sophisticated, so it is easy to get into without damaging the car itself.

So, the black market responds by stealing this model in droves, stripping them down to the bone and the parts end up with legitimate secondhand parts dealers.

An internet article says that an A/C compressor sells for about $350 with no guarantee how long it might work. A part for the ABS braking system could set you back about $450, all to keep your car running until it too is stolen. However, the same article suggests that by simply locking the steering wheel with a club may encourage the thief to look for another car without the secondary lock.

The rest of the list of Most Stolen was as follows:
No. 2 The 1995 Honda Civic. (Again, Honda at the top for the wrong reasons.)
No. 3 The 1991 Toyota Camry
No. 4 The 1999 Chevy Full Size Pickup
No. 5 The 1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup
No. 6 Dodge Ram 2000
No. 7 Dodge (again) 2000 Caravan
No. 8 Acura 1994 Integra
No. 9 The Big 2000 Ford Explorer
No. 10 The 1999 Ford Tauras

I had a Chrysler Voyager seven-seater that was stolen, and it broke my heart because I loved that car. I was telling a Spanish friend that I had my car stolen, and he replied, Why? Why what? Why did you have your car stolen? Were you trying to get the insurance money? You could go to jail for that!

Some things just don't translate well at all, do they?

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael