Most stolen vehicles in America are SUVs, pickup trucks

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- If you drive a pickup truck or a large SUV you'd better watch out.

The top ten vehicles stolen in the U.S. between 2010-2012 were all trucks and SUVs, according to data released Tuesday from the Highway Loss Data Institute, an insurance industry backed research group.

The four-wheel drive Ford F-250 crew cab pickup is the vehicle most vulnerable to theft, the group said. The Cadillac Escalade, which had previously topped the list, dropped to sixth.

But determining what vehicle is truly the most popular among thieves seems to not be as cut-and-dry as some may think.

A Ford spokesman took issue with the HLDI findings. "Many pickup claims result from the theft of equipment from the truck bed, and that may be the case with some of the F-250 claims. HLDI's data don't distinguish theft of vehicle contents or components from theft of a whole vehicle," said Ron Hall, Ford Truck & Commercial Vehicle spokesman.

In fact, a separate survey from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that the Dodge Charger is the most stolen vehicle. Rather than using insurance claims to measure theft, NHTSA cites the FBI's 2010 Uniform Crime Report which showed nearly 73% of all motor vehicles reported stolen were passenger cars.

CLICK HERE for a look at the complete list of most stolen vehicles