LoJack Releases Seventh Annual Vehicle Theft Recovery Report

As 'Connected Vehicle Thief' Era Gains Momentum, Thieves Continue to Target Higher Value Vehicles


CANTON, MA and IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - May 18, 2016) - LoJack, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CalAmp (NASDAQ: CAMP) and a leader in vehicle theft recovery and advanced fleet management solutions, announced today that law enforcement officials recovered more than $112 million in stolen vehicles equipped with the LoJack® Stolen Vehicle Recovery System in 2015.*

LoJack's seventh annual "Vehicle Theft Recovery Report" and infographic (click to download) highlights a concerning issue that thieves continue to target more expensive vehicles, with values over $30,000. These vehicles are an inseparable part of their owners' lives, and increasingly are also a repository of personal property and information that thieves can use for other crimes of opportunity. The era of the "Connected Vehicle Thief" continues to emerge.

According to LoJack's Vehicle Theft Recovery Report:

  • The average value of vehicles recovered in 2015 was $10,287

  • The top vehicle models over $30,000 recovered in 2015 included:
    • Land Rover Range Rover
    • Ford F-Series
    • BMW X-Series
    • Chevy Camaro
    • Audi Q-Series

  • For the seventh consecutive year, California, Texas and Florida ranked as the top three states respectively for LoJack system-equipped stolen and recovered vehicles

  • The following were the top 10 most stolen and recovered LoJack system-equipped vehicle models in 2015:
    1. Honda Civic 
    2. Honda Accord 
    3. Toyota Camry 
    4. Toyota Corolla 
    5. Acura Integra 
    6. Nissan Altima
    7. Ford F250
    8. Ford F150
    9. Nissan Maxima
    10. Chevy Tahoe

FBI data from the 2015 Preliminary Semiannual Crime Statistics Report show that the number of stolen vehicles increased in the first half of 2015 compared to 2014. In addition, the National Insurance Crime Bureau has recently warned about certain types of complex vehicle thefts, including the use of mystery devices to unlock vehicles and vehicle cloning.

Today's modern vehicle thieves are increasingly part of large, organized crime rings that have an incentive to target higher value vehicles which can be cut up for parts, re-sold, or even shipped to overseas black markets for a substantial profit. Traditional vehicle theft tactics have been supplemented with more complex schemes such as acquiring and copying smart keys and using stolen credit reports and false identities to illegally finance vehicles.

"Our vehicles have become an extension of our digitally-enabled lives and carry sensitive personal information about us. Each time a vehicle is stolen, it impacts the owner far beyond the loss of property," said Pat Clancy, Vice President of Law Enforcement for LoJack. "While theft tactics are advancing, law enforcement officials and dealerships who partner with LoJack are dedicated to recovering vehicles in a timely fashion and minimizing the impact on owners."

Clancy continued, "In California, the FBI is reporting increasing auto theft rates**, but the strong cooperation between LoJack and its law enforcement partners has helped improve tracking and recovery of stolen vehicles, which is why California continues to top all states in recoveries."

Other noteworthy highlights of the 2015 LoJack Vehicle Theft Recovery Report:

  • States with the most thefts and recoveries in 2015:
    1. California
    2. Texas
    3. Florida
    4. New York
    5. New Jersey
    6. Arizona
    7. Maryland
    8. Georgia
    9. Massachusetts
    10. Nevada
  • Most expensive vehicle stolen and recovered: 2011 Bentley GT, valued at $138,481

  • Oldest vehicle recovered: 1956 Ford Fairlane

  • Most common vehicle colors stolen and recovered (in order of most stolen): black, white, gray, silver and blue

  • First LoJack system recovery: January 1, 2015 at 2:17 a.m. ET (2007 Honda Civic EX)

  • Last LoJack system recovery: December 31, 2015, at 11:52 p.m. ET (2004 Cadillac Escalade ESV)

For more information and details about key recoveries, including those mentioned in the 2015 LoJack Vehicle Theft Recovery Report, please visit the LoJack Auto Theft Blog.

About the Report
 
The 2015 LoJack Vehicle Theft Recovery Report is gathered from data provided by 28 states via Nlets as well as California law enforcement, and is specific to stolen cars, trucks and SUVs equipped with the LoJack® Stolen Vehicle Recovery System that were recovered between January and December 2015.

About LoJack
LoJack, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CalAmp, has helped more than nine million people protect their vehicles in the event of theft over the past 30 years, and today provides safety, security and protection for an ever-growing range of valuable assets and people. Leveraging its core strengths, including its well-known brand, direct integration with law enforcement and dealer distribution network, LoJack is expanding our business to include our traditional vehicle and equipment theft recovery, and new telematics-based products and services. LoJack is delivering new telematics-based solutions for on-road and off-road fleet management, as well as dealer inventory management. By expanding its brand beyond stolen vehicle recovery, LoJack is committed to creating a new level of value for its dealer, licensee, customer and investor communities by delivering innovative offerings and multiple technologies in expanding geographies.

For more information, visit www.lojack.com, www.autotheftblog.com, www.youtube.com/lojack, www.twitter.com/LoJackCorp or www.Facebook.com/LoJackCorp.

*All recovery data is derived from both 2015 LoJack Recovery Data taken from internal sources. The 2014 LoJack Vehicle Theft Recovery Report is gathered from data provided by 28 states via Nlets as well as California law enforcement, and is specific to stolen cars, trucks and SUVs equipped with a LoJack® Stolen Vehicle Recovery System that were recovered from January to December 2015. Used car values are best estimates derived from NADA Guide web services values and clean retail value from NADAGuides.com for the make, model and year of the vehicle in the month that it was recovered.

**FBI Uniform Crime Report, 2014

©2016 LoJack Corporation. All Rights Reserved. LoJack and the LoJack logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of the LoJack Corporation in the United States and other countries. CalAmp and the arc logo are among the trademarks of CalAmp and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Information:

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(949) 600-5600

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General Information
(424) 238-6249