Car insurance shopping website Insurance.com did a survey of the 20 cars and trucks with the most traffic violations, and some of the results are fairly surprising, while others are not.
DETROIT, MI - Car insurance shopping website Insurance.com did a survey of the 20 cars and trucks with the highest percentage of traffic violations, and some of the results are fairly surprising, while others are not.
Somewhat surprising: The mild-mannered Volkswagen Jetta taking the no. 4 spot. Less surprising: The sleek and very quick Nissan 350Z comes in second overall.
Insurance.com said it reviewed insurance claims and traffic violation data from 331 models and 323,349 customers between Jan. 1, 2014 to Feb. 1, 2016 to compile the numbers.
Related: These are the 10 least-ticketed vehicles
The rankings were then calculated on models for which more than 250 quotes were sought to make sure a significant sample size was available.
The website did not distinguish the cars and trucks by model year, nor did it include only new cars.
As such, the Chevrolet Monte Carlo comes in at the no. 5 spot. General Motors stopped making the Monte Carlo in 2007, but apparently plenty of them are still on the road and attracting the attention of law enforcement.
Ditto the Dodge Stratus, which stopped being produced in 2006, but managed to be ranked eight overall.
If you have one of these cars, there is some good news. Insurance companies typically pay more attention to claims than they do to how many traffic tickets a model vehicle gets when setting rates, Insurance.com said. Traffic violation tickets instead drive up rates for the individual who receives the citation.
Here are the 20 most-ticketed cars and the percentage of drivers who received tickets:
1. Lexus ES 300 - 33%
2. Nissan 350Z - 33%
3. Dodge Charger SE/SXT - 32%
4. Volkswagen Jetta GL- 31%
5. Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS/LT - 31%
6. Mazda 3S - 30%
7. Volkswagen GTI - 30%
8. Dodge Stratus SXT - 30%
9. Acura 3.0s - 30%
10. Toyota Tacoma - 30%
11. Mazda Tribute - 30%
12. Subaru Impreza WRX - 30%
13. Lexus LS 400 Series - 30%
14. Subaru Impreza 2.5I - 30%
15. Mercedes-Benz C300 4 Matic - 30%
16. Chevrolet Malibu 2LT - 29%
17. Lincoln LS - 29%
18. Ford Fusion S - 29%
19. Mazda 3I - 29%
20. Chevrolet Tahoe K1500 - 29%
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.