The Ford F-Series isn't just the most popular vehicle in the United States - a title its held for nearly 40 years now. It's also the most stolen, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The Bureau just compiled its annual "Hot Wheels" list of the top ten most stolen vehicles in the US, based on data from 2019, with Ford's full-size pickup truck claiming a rather dubious honor. The 2006 was the most stolen model year, and given the F-Series's popularity, the fact that it's a hot commodity with vehicle thieves doesn't come as a total surprise. In fact, it's held a prominent spot on the list for a number of years, but its move into the number one spot isn't exactly something we're celebrating.

According to the NICB's data, the top ten most stolen vehicles in the US in 2019 were: the Ford F-Series (38,938), Honda Civic (33,220), Chevrolet Silverado (32,583), Honda Accord (30,745), Toyota Camry (15,656), Nissan Altima (13,355), Toyota Corolla (12,137), Dodge Ram (11,292), GMC Sierra (11,164), and Honda CR-V (10,094). In other words, it's a veritable who's who of some of the hottest-selling passenger vehicles on the market today.

The NICB doesn't compile a "per capita" list with number of thefts per number of cars on the road, so the list says nothing about the rate of theft for the various car models featured.

To compile its list, the NICB analyzes data submitted to the National Crime Information Center by law enforcement agencies around the country, which seems like probably a good way to go about it. There are, of course, reasons why a vehicle theft might not be reported to law enforcement, but it seems likely that such cases are the exception, not the rule.

As for the most stolen single model year vehicle, that honor goes to the 2000 Honda Civic, with 4,731 thefts reported. Its next-closest contender was the 1997 Honda Accord (3,563), followed by the 2006 Ford F-Series (3,061).

No wonder Hondas hold their value so well; it's near-impossible to find one without the VIN removed.