If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. .. ,.~ INSURANCE THEFT REPORT Passenger Cars, Vans, Pickups, and Utility Vehicles Highway Loss Data Institute T86-1 105686 U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the person or organization originating it. points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the National Institute of Justice. Permission to reproduce this c.o~ed material has been qranted by • . PublJ.C Domalll Hlghway LOss Data Instltute to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system requires permis­ sion of the cOflV~ner. NCJRS JUN Z4 1~81 .. ':/~ug!h~Nay loss [)a~tal ~ril$tn~(Ult~ ~nSlUlralnc<e Thsf~ lAepor~ Passenger Cars, Vans, Pickups, and Utiltty Vehicles 1986 Models During Their First Year 1985 Models During Their First Two Years 1984 Models During Their First Three Years Permission to quote from or to reproduce material from this publication is granted when due acknowledgement is made. Highway Loss Data Institute - Watergate Six Hundred - Washington, DC 20037 Research Report HLDI T86-1; May 1987 © 1987/HLDI The membership of the Highway Loss Data Institute Board of Directors and the Technical Resource Com­ mittee represents insurance companies that are sup­ plying data to HLDI. Financial support for HLDI is pro­ vided through the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which in tum is supported by most automobile insurers either directly or through their trade associations. Board of Directors J. B. Conners, Chairman Liberty Mutual Insurance Company M. Albaum Prudential Property and Casualty Insurance Company D. Ballen American Insurance Association C. A. Bryan Uniled Services Automobile Association D. Fergusson Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company G. C. Klingman The Travelers Insurance Companies R. S. Lawson Alliance of American Insurers A. Ledbetter Government Employees Insurance Company A. Longley-Cook Aetna Life and Casualty . W. W. Sorenson State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company J. S. Trees Allstale Insurance Company T. E. Troxel National Association of Independent Insurers B. O'Neill, ex officio Highway Loss Data Instilule Technical Resource Committee M. Albaum, Chairman Prudential Property Q/ld Casualty Insurance Company C. A. Bryan United Services Automobile Association R. O. Elder Highway Loss Data Instilule D. Fergusson Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company G. C. Klingman The Travelers Insurance Companies A. Ledbetter Government Employees Insurance Company A. Longley-Cook Aetna Life and Casualty R. Muleski Liberty Mutual Insurance Company B. O'Neill Highway Loss Data Instilute W. W. Sorenson State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company J. S. Trees Allstate Insurance Company CONTENTS 1 Summary 2 Introduction 2 Results and Discussion 2 Passenger Cars 25 Vans, Pickups, and Utility Vehicles 34 Appendix A· 'I 1984-86 Vehicle Series Designations - Passenger Cars 43 /\ppendix A·~\ 1984-86 Vehicle Series Designations - Vans, Pickups, and Utility Vehicles 46 Appendix B Definitions 47 HLDI Publicatlions 3 Table 1 Theft Results: 1984-86 Models, Passenger Cars With the Highest Claim Frequencies 3 Table 2 Theft Results: 1984-86 Models, Passenger Cars With the Highest Average Loss Payments Per Insured Vehicle Year 5 Table 3 Theft Results: 1984-86 Models, Passenger Cars With the Lowest Claim Frequencies 5 Table 4 Theft Results: 1984-86 Models, Passenger Cars With the Lowest Average Loss Payments Per Insured Vehicle Year 6 Table 5 Insurance Losses, Theft Coverages, 1986 Models - Passenger Cars 11 Table 6 Insurance Losses, Theft Coverages, 1985 Models - Passenger Cars 18 Table 7 Insurance Losses, Theft Coverages, 1984 Models - Passenger Cars 25 Table 8 Summary of Theft Losses, 1984-86 Model Year Vans, Pickups, and Utility Vehicles 26 Table 9 Insuranoe Losses, Theft Coverages, 1986 Models - Vans, Pickups, and Utility Vehicles 28 Table 10 Insurance Losses, Theft Coverages, 1985 Models - Vans, Pickups, and Utility Vehicles 31 Table 11 Insurance Losses, Theft Coverages, 1984 Models - Vans, Pickups, and Utility Vehicles SUMMARY This Highway Loss Data Institute report describes variations in both the frequency and size of insurance theft losses involving 1984, 1985, o Sports and specialty models had the and 1986 model year passenger cars, vans, highest overall theft losses. In each model pickups, and utility vehicles. year, they accounted for approximately 15 per­ cent of the total exposure but were responsi­ Principal Findings: ble for nearly 50 percent of the total dollars Passenger Cars paid in theft claims. o The theft loss results of different cars varies o The generally consistent pattern of theft enormously . Average theft loss payments per results for 1984-86 models indicates that 1987 insured vehicle year ranged from approximate­ models of these cars are likely to have similar ly $1 to more than $200. Among the individual theft losses. makes and models summarized, the 1984 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL and 1984 Porsche 911 Vans, Pickups, Utility Vehicles Coupe had the highest average loss payments o The 1984 and 1985 Jeep CJ-7 and the 1986 per insured vehicle year and the 1986 Ford Suzuki Samurai had the highest theft claim Taurus station wagon had the lowest. frequencies. o European designed cars, led by the o The Chevrolet K10 Blazer had the highest Volkswagen GTI and Volkswagen Converti­ average theft payment pel' claim for 1984 and ble, had the highest frequency of theft claims. 1985 models and the Chevrolet 10 Series The theft of car radios is thought to be a ma­ pickups had the highest average loss payment jor cause of the high frequency of theft claims per insured vehicle year for all three model for these cars. Small and midsize domestic years. models had the lowest claim frequencies. o Theft results for large utility vehicles, the o The 1984 Porsche 911 Coupe had the highest average loss payment per theft claim; Chevrolet and GMC Suburban models, show­ it was nearly $9,700. ed large increases between their 1984 and 1986 models. Standard-sized pickup trucks also had o Three sporty models manufactured by substantial increases during these years. General Motors - the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Chevrolet Camara, and Pontiac Firebird - had o Small pickup trucks had the lowest claim huge increases in their theft losses between the frequencies and average loss payments per in­ 1984 and 1986 model year. sured vehicle year. 2 INTRODUCTION Passenger Cars The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) is a nonprofit, The results for 1986 model year passenger cars are based public service organization that gathers, processes, and on 1.8 million insured vehicle years of exposure, those for publishes insurance data concerned with human and the 1985 models on over 5.3 million insured vehicle years, economic losses resulting from owning and operating motor and those for the 1984 models on nearly 9.4 million insured vehicles-especially concerning the ways such losses vary vehicle years. Results are not given separately for any in­ among different kinds of vehicles. dividual vehicle series with less than 5,000 insured vehicle This l'eport describes the theft loss experience under com­ years of exposure and fewer than 100 paid theft claims, but prehensive coverage of 1986 models during their first year their results are included in the aggregated totals. Confidence of availability, 1985 models during their first two years, and in the results generally increases with an increasing amount 1984 models during their first three years. :Results are of exposure and number of claims. presented separately for passenger cars and for vans, pickups, and utility vehicles. The report is based on com­ 1984-86 Models With the Highest Claim Frequencies prehensive coverage and theft loss data supplied by 13 in­ Table 1 summarizes the 1984-86 model year passenger cars surers: Aetna, Allstate, Fireman's Fund, GEICO, Kemper, with the highest theft claim frequencies. Also included in Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Prudential, Safeco, Sentry, Table 1 are the average loss payment per daim and average State Farm, Travelers, and USAA. loss payment per :"'isured vehicle year results for these The results presented in this report include the complete models. The results are expressed in relative terms with the spectrum of theft losses occurring under comprehensive value 100 representing the all-car-combined result in each coverage ranging from the theft of items from the vehicle loss category for each model year. Table 1 lists all cars that to the theft of the vehicle itself. A complete list of the in­ have relative claim frequencies exceeding 500 (at least five dividual vehicle series included in this report is contained times the average for all cars) in at least one of the in Appendix A and definitions are provided in Appendix B. three model years or exceeding 400 in at least two of the It is intended that the dissemination of this and other HLDI model years. Each relative claim frequency result that exceeds reports will contribute to research into ways for reducing 500 is shown in bold print. crash damage, crash injuries, and theft losses, and that it All of the cars listed in Table 1 are European imports ex­ also will inform the public about differences in the loss ex­ clept for the U.S. made Volkswagen GTI and Volkswagen perience produced by different kinds of vehicles. Golf. It should be emphasized that this table summarizes the results of the frequency of theft claims including claims for stolen components (e.g., radios and hubcaps). With the ex­ RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ception of the two Mercedes-Benz models, the cars listed in This report presents theft loss results in two sections. The Table 1 have relatively low average loss payments per theft first section summarizes variations in both the frequency and claim, whkh suggests that many of their claims are for stolen size of theft claims for private passenger cars from three components rather than for the vehicle itself.