Ohio’s most-stolen vehicle: 2000 Dodge Caravan

DES PLAINES, Ill. (AP) — An insurance industry group identifies the 2000 Dodge Caravan sport utility vehicle is the automobile most often reported stolen in Ohio.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported today that the state’s second-most popular vehicle among car thieves is the 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass, followed by the 1996 Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee.

The ranking is based on vehicle theft data from 2008.

The bureau says many older models of cars and trucks are targeted by thieves because of valuable parts. Officials say parts stripped out by a chop shop can sometimes sell for twice as much as the vehicle itself would on the used car market.

Nationwide, last year’s most-stolen vehicle was the 1994 Honda Accord.