Owners of Hyundai and Nissan cars are the most common victims of car theft in Costa Rica.
From January 2011 to March 2012, 5,585 vehicle robberies were committed in the country. Of the thefts, 16 percent (897) involved a Hyundai brand, and 13 percent (747) involved Nissan. The third and forth most victimized brands were Suzuki (545) and Toyota (514). The data, first reported by the daily La Nación, comes from the Office of Plans and Operations, an arm of the Judicial Investigation Police.
When it comes to motorcycles, Yahama choppers (463) were most likely to be stolen.
Most of the stolen cars are broken down and sold for parts.
Overall carjackings are down in Costa Rica. Thefts fell from 1,157 cases to 1,002 cases during the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. However, carjackings rose in two provinces, Heredia (124 to 162 cases) and Cartago (63 to 81 cases). Â
Motorcycle thefts fell from 411 in the first quarter of 2011 to 313 in 2012.
