(Nexstar) – Thief still has his favorite model, but after years of surges in vehicle theft, the tide has changed. The number of stolen cars reported in 2024 fell sharply, breaking the pattern of previous year’s increase that began in 2020.
According to the National Insurance Crimes Bureau (NICB), approximately 850,700 vehicles were stolen in the United States last year. This is down from over one million stolen vehicles in 2023.
Despite the trend, some vehicles are still targeted fairly frequently by burglars. The NICB reports that two Hyundai models, namely Elantra and Sonata, were the most targeted vehicles of theft last year, like in 2023.
K9 helps to defeat suspected stolen vehicle after high speed pursuit in LA
Thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles skyrocketed in 2020. In 2020, videos began to spread across Tiktok showing how to exploit and steal a car vulnerability. The thief noticed that the car had no engine immobilizers. This is a standard part of anti-theft technology.
But things are getting better for owners of these affected models as well. The automaker has provided vehicle owners with anti-theft software upgrades, and the number of stolen Hunda and Kiass stolen in 2024 has been removed nationwide.
According to the NICB, the most commonly stolen vehicles in 2024 are:
rankkmake/modelno. 20241 Theft elanta.hyundai elantra31,7122.hyundai sonata26,7203.chevrolet silverado 150021,6664.honda accord18,5395.kia optima17,4936.honda civic15,7277.kia soul13,5628.ford f150 Pickup12,9529.Toyota Camry12,29610.Dodge Charger11,452 (National vehicle theft data from NICB)
It’s not just what you drive, but also where you live that affects the likelihood you’ll be targeted by car thieves. Theft rates are highest in Washington, DC, California, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada.
Source link
