Don Sinden was jolted from his sleep at about 2 a.m. last summer when he heard noise from his driveway of his Ottawa home. Squinting out his bedroom window, he saw bright lights and a flat-bed truck and figured, at first, someone on his normally quiet street was getting towed. Little did Mr. Sinden know that his white, 2014 Toyota 4Runner Limited was being hauled away — by thieves. By the time he got downstairs and outside, his 4Runner was gone from his driveway, along with the fast-acting crooks that took his SUV. In the span of a few more months, at least three more 4Runners were stolen within a four block radius of the same Ottawa neighbourhood.

The trend shows up in the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s (IBC) latest theft report, which says on average, a vehicle is stolen every seven minutes across Canada. In Ontario, the top two most stolen last year were the 2016 and 2014 4Runner, followed by the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon of various years, with the Toyota 4Runner showing up again in ninth spot. In Alberta, the vehicles of choice are 2001-2007 Ford F-250 and F-350 pickups (where there are plenty of them) and the 2000 Honda Civic. Canada wide, the most stolen vehicle was the 2015 Lexus GX460, a luxury version of the 4Runner, trailed by the Ford F-350, F-250 and 4Runner.

In Quebec, the 2015 and 2016 4Runner were also the top two most popular among thieves, followed by Jeep Wranglers and Lexus RX 350s. In the Atlantic provinces, the Mitsubishi Lancer was the hottest car, followed by the Ram 2500, Ford Explorer, Volkswagen Jetta and several Jeep models.

According to the RCMP, car thefts in Canada are heading higher in several jurisdictions. Dan Service, acting national director of Investigative Services for the IBC, says “the biggest increases were in Yukon, where stolen vehicle numbers are up 22 per cent, Nunavut where they are up 18 per cent, and Saskatchewan where they are up 15 per cent.” He also notes the same thing Canadian border officials have noticed – more luxury vehicles are being filched.

“We see from this list that criminals continue to favour all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, older, high-end vehicles.”

While Mr. Sinden never got his 4Runner back, Ottawa Police — with help from the Montreal and York Regional Police, as well as the Canada Border Services Agency and the Insurance Bureau of Canada — did file a total of 141 charges in Dec. 2017 against an Ottawa man and two people from Montreal, after several Toyota and Lexus SUVs disappeared under similar circumstances in the capital. According to CTV, police obtained some video showing cars being stolen from people’s driveways. Police say the value of the stolen vehicles was estimated at $745,000.

In Canada, 78,710 vehicles were stolen in 2016 (the most recent year for which full-year stats are available), down 1 per cent from 78,849 in 2015 but up from 2014, when about 74,000 police-reported motor vehicle thefts were recorded. In 2014, the rate increased slightly (by one per cent) over 2013, ending 10 years of consecutive annual declines. The 2014 rate was still 61 per cent lower than 10 years earlier.

While Gatineau and Trois-Rivières, Quebec and Sudbury, Ontario saw decreases in auto theft, the crime was up 49 per cent in Guelph, Ontario, and up by 17 and 16 per cent in Regina and Saskatoon, respectively. And at 536 cases per 100,000 people, Alberta once again reported the highest rate of auto theft in Canada. Prince Edward Island reported the lowest rate of theft at 60 cases per 100,000 people. Nationally, the rate of recovery for stolen vehicles increased to 72 per cent, up one per cent from last year.

Sometimes, the vehicle is taken simply for a joyride or the need for transportation or to commit another crime, says the IBC. Often, the stolen vehicle is immediately packed with its VIN still intact and shipped overseas, where it is sold for many times its original market value.

IBC says the following vehicles were the top 10 most stolen in Canada, with breakdowns by region. It does not have stats for B.C., Manitoba, Saskatchewan or the territories.

Canada-wide

2015 Lexus GX460 2007 Ford F-350 4WD 2006 Ford F-350 4WD 2005 Ford F-350 4WD 2001 Ford F-350 4WD 2003 Ford F-350 4WD 2004 Ford F-350 4WD 2016 Toyota 4Runner 2002 Ford F-350 4WD 2006 Ford F-250 4WD

Ontario

2016 Toyota 4Runner 2015 Toyota 4Runner 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon 4WD 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche 2WD 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon 4WD 2006 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra 2500 4WD 2003 Hummer H2 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon 4WD 2014 Toyota 4Runner 2005 Buick Ranier, Chevrolet Trailblazer, GMC Envoy 2WD

Quebec

2016 Toyota 4Runner 2015 Toyota 4Runner 2016 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited four-door 2013 Lexus RX350, RX450h 2015 Lexus RX350, RX450h 2003 Ford F-250 4WD 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited four-door 2015 Toyota Tundra 4WD 2014 Lexus RX350, RX450h 2010 Audi A5 coupe

Atlantic

2012 Mitsubishi Lancer 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 2002 Ford Explorer, Mercury Mountaineer 2000 Volkswagen Jetta 2006 Jeep Wrangler 2009 Jeep Compass 2009 Jeep Patriot 2008 Nissan Titan 4WD 2004 Ford F-350 4WD 2005 Honda Element

To prevent theft, the IBC advises for you to: