Yahoo Autos 
Best and worst states for stolen car recovery
Car thieves don't do much summer vacationing -- as the days heat up, they get to work stealing vehicles, according to a claims analysis by Progressive.
Progressive analyzed its 2012 auto insurance claims and determined that thefts rise by 15 percent in July and August compared with the rest of the year. July had the most stolen car claims, followed by August and June.
Nine out of the 10 worst days for stolen cars are in the summer. Thieves made off with the most vehicles on July 15, followed by July 1, April 29 (the only non-summer day), Sept. 4, July 23, Aug. 26, Sept. 15, July 7, Sept. 23 and Aug. 12, according to the insurer.
The study also points out that most thefts occur on weekends. Sunday may be a day of rest for you, but not for the bad guys: Progressive says it's the worst day of the week, followed by Saturday.
Progressive also found that almost half (46 percent) of stolen cars are eventually recovered countrywide, although recovery rates vary significantly from state to state. The news isn't so bad for Washington, which has a 71 percent recovery rate. But Michigan residents may be scowling, with only 19 percent of missing vehicles returned to owners.
The five states with the lowest recovery rates in 2012, according to Progressive claims data, are:
Michigan ; 19 percent
Pennsylvania; 26 percent
Arkansas; 28 percent
Alabama ; 28 percent
Mississippi ; 29 percent
The top five states for recovered cars are:
Washington; 71 percent
Utah; 63 percent
South Dakota; 61 percent
Nevada; 61 percent
California ; 60 percent
My car was stolen: Does my car insurance cover that?
If your car is stolen and not recovered, you must have comprehensive auto insurance coverage to file a claim. Otherwise, you will be footing the bill for a replacement yourself. Whether or not it makes sense to carry comprehensive coverage depends on your personal financial situation, where you live and the age, model and value of your car.
It may not make sense to pay for comprehensive insurance, which also covers damages due to hail, flooding, vandalism and collisions with animals, if your car is so old or in such bad shape that you wouldn't pay to repair it if it had significant damage. Your insurance company will pay out only what the car is worth, minus your deductible.
Still, if you own a l car that's targeted by thieves, comprehensive insurance may be worthwhile. For instance, the most-stolen vehicles last year in California, which typically has the highest car-theft rates in the country, were the 1994 Honda Accord, the 1998 Honda Civic and the 1991 Toyota Camry. The 1994 Honda Accord is also the most stolen model nationwide, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
Also, comprehensive premiums are typically a small part of your insurance bill as they are much lower than liability rates for the average driver.
Where you live is another factor to consider when deciding whether to carry comprehensive coverage to cover theft. The worst metro areas for car theft, according to the latest "Hot Spots" report by the NICB, are:
1. Modesto, Calif.
2. Fresno, Calif.
3. Bakersfield-Delano, Calif.
4. Stockton, Calif.
