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Car theft skyrockets thanks to rising parts prices

Cars and trucks today have achieved a high level of average quality, with safety and technology features that keep occupants safer than ever and meet consumers' high expectations. But the National Insurance Crime Bureau finds that those components come with a rising price tag, leading to expensive repair bills — and rising vehicle thefts to support a thriving black market for parts. The nonprofit NICB said it looked at the cost of replacement parts for the top 10 stolen 2016 models, with average OEM part prices pulled from a database of more than 24 million vehicle damage appraisals generated for 2016 and 2017 insurance claims. The list did not include major components like engines or transmissions, only easily-stripped components like bumpers, doors, hoods and headlights. It found that: The 2016 Toyota Camry, which had a used market value of around $15,000, had 15 commonly replaced parts that added up to almost $11,000, not including labor, with quarter panels alone costing almost $1,600 a pair and a set of alloy wheels tallying more than $1,600. The Camry was also the top stolen vehicle in 2016 at 1,113 thefts. A 2016 Nissan Altima had 14 standard parts worth more than $14,000, including a single headlamp assembly that costs just over $1,000. The Altima was the second-top stolen vehicle in 2016 at 1,063 vehicles stolen. And the 2016 GMC Sierra pickup, which was No. 7 on the 2016 top-stolen list, rang up $21,000 from 20 standard components, including an $1,100 headlamp assembly and an $1,100 rear bumper. "For the professional theft ring, stealing and stripping vehicles for parts has always been a lucrative business," Jim Schweitzer, NICB's senior vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. "On today's cars and trucks, the parts are often worth more than the intact vehicle and may be easier to move and sell. That's why we see so many thefts of key items like wheels and tires and tailgates ... there's always a market for them." Check out the NICB infographic below. Vehicle thefts in the U.S. rose by more than 4 percent in 2017, based on preliminary FBI data, after rising 7.6 percent in 2016, though the overall trend has been down since vehicle thefts peaked in 1991, according to the NICB. Related Video: Image Credit: National Insurance Crime Bureau Aftermarket GMC Nissan Toyota Auto Repair Insurance Ownership auto parts car values stolen car nicb national insurance crime bureau components

Poor headlights cause 40 cars to miss IIHS Top Safety Pick rating

Over the past few months, we've noticed a number of cars and SUVs that have come incredibly close to earning one of the IIHS's highest accolades, the Top Safety Pick rating. They have great crash test scores and solid automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning systems. What trips them up is headlights. That got us wondering, how many vehicles are there that are coming up short because they don't have headlights that meet the organization's criteria for an "Acceptable" or "Good" rating. This is a revision made after 2017, a year in which headlights weren't factored in for this specific award. This is also why why some vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, might have had the award last year, but have lost it for this year. We reached out to someone at IIHS to find out. He responded with the following car models. Depending on how you count, a whopping 40 models crash well enough to receive the rating, but don't get it because their headlights are either "Poor" or "Marginal." We say depending on how you count because the IIHS actual counts truck body styles differently, and the Infiniti Q70 is a special case. Apparently the version of the Q70 that has good headlights doesn't have adequate forward collision prevention technology. And the one that has good forward collision tech doesn't have good enough headlights. We've provided the entire list of vehicles below in alphabetical order. Interestingly, it seems the Volkswagen Group is having the most difficulty providing good headlights with its otherwise safe cars. It had the most models on the list at 9 split between Audi and Volkswagen. GM is next in line with 7 models. It is worth noting again that though these vehicles have subpar headlights and don't quite earn Top Safety Pick awards, that doesn't mean they're unsafe. They all score well enough in crash testing and forward collision prevention that they would get the coveted award if the lights were better.

2021 GMC Yukon Denali adds another extra-luxe accessories bundle

For the 2018 GMC Yukon Denali, GMC added a Denali Ultimate Package that combined every option already available with some 22-inch Midnight Silver rims. In 2020, GMC expanded build options for the Terrain with a Denali Premium Package, lumping together a couple of a la carte packages as an exclusive mix of features. The 2020 Yukon Denali configurator includes a lightweight Denali Premium Package, too, but for 2021 GM Authority reports the top-tier choices will expand to include an entry-level Denali Deluxe Package along with the Denali Premium and Ultimate options. The Deluxe Package checks the boxes for the Advanced Technology Package, Advanced Security Package, and the Rear Seat Media System. The long list of tech roped in with that trio includes adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, rear camera mirror and washer, interior movement sensors, glass break sensors, dual 12.6-inch rear seat-mounted screens, two HDMI ports, and wireless projection capability. The exterior showpiece is a quartet of 22-inch bright machined aluminum wheels with premium paint, affixed with wheel locks. Go with those rims and the Denali Deluxe Package costs $5,750, opting for a different set of wheels can drop the price to $3,775. On top of that, choosing the right combination of options to go with the Deluxe Package can lower the price another $500. The Denali Premium Package includes almost everything above, only omitting the Rear Seat Media Package. In place of the screens for back-seaters, the bundle installs a powered panoramic sunroof and power-retractable assist steps with perimeter lighting. Purchased with the 22-inch wheels, this assortment runs $7,000, or $5,025 with a different set of wheels. Here again, the right combination of additional packages can save $500. The Denali Ultimate Package combines everything in the bundles above, plus the Max Trailering Package that gets GMC's ProGrade Trailering System and high-capacity engine cooling. The price is $10,460 on a rear-wheel drive Yukon Denali, $11,255 on the four-wheel drive models. Choosing a different wheel only saves $1,000 in this case, and there's no extra discount available. The 2021 Yukon is expected to enter production next month at GM's Arlington Plant in Texas, Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.