A 2000 Minivan Remains Vehicle Most Stolen in Ohio

For the second straight year, an insurance industry group names the 2000 Dodge Caravan minivan as the vehicle most reported stolen in Ohio.

The Ohio Insurance Institute says the automobile second most popular with the state’s car thieves is the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass, together with similar models Ciera and Cutlass Supreme. The 2000 Honda Civic ranks third, followed by the 1995 Buick Century and then the 1999 Ford Taurus.

The list released Monday is based on auto theft data from 2009.

The insurance industry says older models of cars and trucks are targeted by thieves because of valuable parts and end up in chop shops.

The insurance institute says nearly 23,000 vehicle thefts were reported in Ohio last year, down 19.8 percent from 2008.