When buying a vehicle, clients think about the gas mileage, engine and accessories. What clients don’t think about is how often that car gets stolen and the extra protection they will need, especially if they are buying a Ford.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) released a report in May that surveys the 2011, 2012 and 2013 thefts of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and crossover utility vehicles (CUVs), revealing CUV Fords as ranking the top three.
A total of 21,711 SUVs/CUVs were reported stolen within the three years. The CUV compact class, the top ranked vehicle theft, was stolen 46 percent more than its runner-up, the CUV Large, with numbers at 6,981 and 3,206.
According to the NICB, CUV thefts totaled 73 percent of thefts and SUVs make up only 27 percent. However, the SUV Premium had the most unrecovered theft ratio recorded at 33 percent, a number very important to clients.
The top 5 models to get stolen were the Ford Escape (1,421), Ford Edge (1,140), Ford Explorer (958), Jeep Grand Cherokee (912) and the Kia Sorento (725).
Thieves in California more than doubled the theft-rate with 3, 531 cars stolen when compared to the other top three states, Florida (1,897) and Michigan (1,834).
According to DMV.org, comprehensive coverage is recommended to cover the actual theft of a vehicle and allow for a replacement if the car is unrecovered.
Gap insurance is also a good option for clients. This covers the gap between what the car is worth and what is still owed on the car loan. This is the only insurance that will cover this amount.
Liability, collision and comprehensive policies only cover what the vehicle is worth. DMV.org says a vehicle’s value can decline as much as 30 percent within three months of purchase.
According to the FBI, more than $4.3 billion was lost nationwide to motor vehicle thefts in 2012 and the average dollar loss per stolen vehicle was $6,019.
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