Which cars are stolen the most? They’re not the flashy or fast ones. In fact, America’s most popular pickup tops the list.
Which cars are stolen the most? They’re not the flashy or fast ones. In fact, America’s most popular pickup tops the list.
Is your car more likely to be stolen if it’s a Lamborghini or a Lexus? An Aston Martin or an Alfa Romeo, a Bentley or a BMW?
Actually, no.
It turns out car thieves are much more practical-minded when it comes to what they steal, meaning your mild-mannered Toyota (TM) – Get Toyota Motor Corp. Report sedan or Honda (HMC) – Get Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Report hatchback could be a target.
Vehicle theft is a multi-billion-dollar crime, with the cost of stolen vehicles coming in at about $7.4 billion in 2020 alone, an average of $9,166 per theft, according to the Insurance Information Institute and the FBI.
Many of those thefts are due to driver error—things like leaving the key or fob in the car, or leaving the doors unlocked.
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So if it isn’t to burn rubber in a supercar, why do thieves take cars? While joyriding is a factor, usually cars are stolen for spare parts or to use as transportation for another crime—a getaway car, according to Jerry Insurance Agency.
Of nearly 181,000 vehicles stolen in California in 2020 (the state with the most stolen vehicles) most were recovered, but only 63.6% were recovered intact and in drivable condition, 3.1% were missing major components, 8.6% were stripped of minor parts, and 24.6% were intentionally burned and/or wrecked, according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP said that in 2020, 39 vehicles were stolen just for their cargo.
The biggest market for parts is going to be for the most popular cars, so it comes as no surprise that vehicles with high sales numbers like Ford (F) – Get Ford Motor Company Report pickups and Honda Civics are more frequently stolen. And because they are more common, it’s easier for thieves to get around in them without being noticed.
There are some cars that are tough to steal because of their anti-theft features, a few of these include the Tesla Model S (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc Report , Nissan Leaf (NSANF) , BMW 3-series four-door (BMW) , and the Hyundai Tucson (HYMTF) , according to Jerry Insurance.
Here are the vehicles that were stolen the most in 2020, for all model years, followed by the most frequently stolen new models, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and the 10 worst cities for vehicle thefts.
The Most Stolen CarsWikipedia
1. Ford pick-up (Full size)
Thefts (in 2020): 44,014Most common model year stolen: 2006Wikipedia
2. Chevrolet pick-up (Full size)
Thefts: 40,968Most common model year stolen: 2004Wikipedia
3. Honda Civic
Thefts: 34,144Most common model year stolen: 2000Wikipedia
4. Honda Accord
Thefts: 30,814Most common model year stolen: 1997Toyota
5. Toyota Camry
Thefts: 16,915Most common model year stolen: 2019Nissan
6. Nissan Altima
Thefts: 14,668Most common model year stolen: 2020HumanZoom at English Wikipedia
7. GMC pick-up (Full size)
Thefts: 13,016Most common model year stolen: 2005Toyota
8. Toyota Corolla
Thefts: 12,515Most common model year stolen: 2020Wikipedia
9. Honda CR-V
Thefts: 12,309Most common model year stolen: 2000Wikipedia
10. Dodge pick-up (Full size)
Thefts: 11,991Most common model year stolen: 2001 The Most Stolen New CarsNissan
1. Nissan Altima
Thefts: 1,732
(New car data is for 2020 model year cars.)
Chevrolet
2. Chevrolet Pick-Up (Full size)
Thefts: 1,447
Toyota
3. Toyota Corolla
Thefts: 1,295
Chevrolet
4. Chevrolet Malibu
Thefts: 1,175
Ram
5. Ram Pick-Up (Full size)
Thefts: 1,118
Toyota
6. Toyota Camry
Thefts: 1,041
Hyundai
7. Hyundai Elantra
Thefts: 989
Jeep
8. Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
Thefts: 876
Ford
9. Ford Pick-Up (Full size)
Thefts: 875
Dodge
10. Dodge Charger
Thefts: 738
The 10 Cities With the Worst Car Theft1. Bakersfield, Calif.
Vehicles stolen (in 2020): 8,161Theft rate (per 100,000 people): 905.41. The national average was 246 stolen cars per 100,000 people in 2020.Ray Bouknight from Sacramento, CA, USA/Wikipedia
2. Yuba City, Calif.
Vehicles stolen: 1,279Theft rate: 724.463. Denver
Vehicles stolen: 21,112Theft rate: 705.804. Odessa, Texas
Vehicles stolen: 1,114Theft rate: 664.28Shutterstock
5. San Francisco
Vehicles stolen: 30,774Theft rate: 655.20Shutterstock
6. Albuquerque, N.M.
Vehicles stolen: 5,835Theft rate: 631.757. Pueblo, Colo.
Vehicles stolen: 1,023Theft rate: 602.398. Billings, Mont.
Vehicles stolen: 1,038Theft rate: 564.759. St. Joseph, Mo.
Vehicles stolen: 692Theft rate: 564.64Shutterstock
10. Tulsa, Okla.
Vehicles stolen: 5,553Theft rate: 551.76Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau