[perl4ever]

"it's very efficient, nobody would ever think to steal or break into it as long as there's pretty much any other car in sight"

My impression is that the most stolen cars usually fit that description, surprisingly enough. Old, reliable, nondescript cars are exactly the ones that have a thriving market for parts and are relatively easy to steal. I remember for instance, late 90s Honda Accords being on the list of top most stolen models at one time.

The other reason I see not to keep an old car forever is that I don't trust old airbags, especially since the Takata fiasco. Nothing lasts forever, and originally I read that airbags were supposed to last 10 years, so how do you trust a 15 year old explosive device aimed at your face?

[WillPostForFood]

You are right, the most stolen cars list always includes the top sellers, Civic, Accord, Camry Corolla(#8).

https://www.nicb.org/news/news-releases/2017-hot-wheels-repo...

It might just be because those models sell the most, so there are more around to be stolen, or maybe there is more demand for stolen parts because they sell more.

[mygo]

> It might just be because those models sell the most, so there are more around to be stolen, or maybe there is more demand for stolen parts because they sell more.

Well, it’s both. They’re two sides of the same coin.

Hard to have a thriving car theft business if there isn’t good enough demand for the parts you need to sell.

Can’t have a high demand for parts unless a large amount of those cars are on the streets (or if the cars are absolute junk and need constant parts repair)

The cars that you see in the junk yard in large quantities are probably the ones that will be stolen from the streets.

[ams6110]

I just can't fathom a huge market in stolen car parts. I do a lot of my own work and always just go to NAPA or maybe rockauto.com and buy any new parts I need.

Maybe there is a sizable black market of major parts (engines, transmissions, body panels) etc. to unscrupulous repair shops?

[sean2]

I've always owned 10-20year old cars, and frequently replacement parts aren't available; I have to find them on ebay or craigslist and I've no way to know weather these were scavenged legally or stolen.

I've also used Craigslist because new parts can be 5 times more expensive than used parts. You may buy all your items new, but most of the working class people on my block, who are constantly upgrading their cars, probably can't afford it. So, I have no problem imagining a large black market.

[mdgrech23]

I suspect most stolen parts would either be sold through Craigslist of junkyards. The old timers still rely heavily on junkyards for parts. I've been to quite a few, they tend to be shady.

[enraged_camel]

>>I just can't fathom a huge market in stolen car parts.

There is a huge market for them. They are laundered through junk yards.

[WillPostForFood]

I suspect some repair shops may source parts from non-legit sources.

[refurb]

Honda Accords being on the list of top most stolen models at one time.

Yes, there is demand for those car parts, but most importantly, late-90’s Honda are incredibly easy to steal. They didn’t fix that until the 2000 model.

It’s so well known that you need something like a club to stop those cars from disappearing.

[Sgt_Apone]

Exactly, those things were ridiculously easy to snatch up. My friend in high school used to be able to start his 90s era Honda with a flathead screw driver.

[mdgrech23]

You're right on both points. Safety has seen major improvements since 2003. I would urge OP to upgrade for that reason alone.