Most Stolen Cars in America (2024)

FAQs

What is the most stolen car in USA? ›

1. Chevrolet full-size pickups. Nearly 50,000 full-size Chevrolet pickups were stolen in 2022, making the truck the most-stolen car in America and the car with the highest theft rate — 886 stolen per 100,000 vehicles.

At the top of the 2023 list, again, are the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and the Dodge Charger Hemi. The Dodge Challenger ranked fourth behind the Infiniti Q50. IIHS notes that the Q50 “has been a perennial feature on the most stolen vehicle list since model-year 2014 for reasons that remain a mystery.”

Two Dodge muscle cars, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and Dodge Charger HEMI, once again top the Highway Loss Data Institute's list of the most-stolen vehicles for model years 2020-22. Meanwhile, a viral trend targeting Hyundai-Kia vehicles propelled four Kia models into the top 20.

For example, Tesla models and other luxury brands, such as Jaguar or Lexus, have anti-theft technologies that make it difficult to steal without the owner or even the brand knowing about it.

Hondas are popular with thieves because the car parts are in great demand and can easily be resold on the black market. The third most stolen vehicle is the full-size Ford Pickup. It's believed thieves target pickup trucks when they intend to commit other crimes, such as hauling other stolen items and merchandise.

Among the Land Rover models, the Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic has become the prime target for car thieves. A staggering two out of every hundred Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic models are stolen, making it the most stolen car model in the UK.

The 'biggest car heist' in history involves Volvo and North Korea. The Swedish government had agreed to send over $70 million in heavy machinery to the secretive state, along with that a batch of 1,000 Volvo 144 sedans to be used as taxis.

The Model 3 and Model Y are the least stolen cars now. Electric vehicles can present many challenges to their owners, but worry about getting them stolen is not one of those. The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 just topped the ranking of least stolen vehicles in the US, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI).

This is a major motivation for thieves targeting Honda Accords. Thieves steal the car in mere seconds, as about 52,244 units disappeared recently in a single year. According to the numbers, this makes the Honda Accord the easiest car to break into.

How common is car theft USA? ›

How Many Car Theft Incidents Are Happening In The Country? According to car theft statistics from Statista, there were 268 cases for every 100,000 people in 2021. The stolen cars statistics from the annual Hot Spots Report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) explain that this equates to over 932,000 thefts.

Luxury vehicles: BMW, INFINITI, Land Rover, Ford/Ram Pickups

Other frequently stolen 2020-22 models include luxury vehicles made by BMW, INFINITI and Land Rover and three large pickups with powerful engines. Two variants of the Infiniti Q50 appear among the most-stolen vehicles.

Any car with keyless entry is at a threat to relay crime. Popular models found to such as a Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Qashqai and Ford Focus are all at risk.

An increasingly prevalent method employed by thieves involves the use of relay devices. In this approach, one thief aims the relay device at the front door of a residence, where proximity keys are often left. The device then transmits the key's signal to an accomplice near the driver's door of the vehicle.

The vehicles being targeted are Kia models from 2011-21 and Hyundai models from 2015-21. Some auto insurance companies are refusing to insure the vehicles, according to Indianapolis police. The models don't have electronic immobilizers, which confirms that the key belongs with that vehicle.

Preliminary 2022 data shows the states with the most motor vehicle thefts were California (202,685), Texas (105,015) and Washington (46,939). 31 states saw a year-over-year increase in motor vehicle thefts in 2021 — the latest year for which data from every state is available.