Theft & risk
Least-Stolen Cars — Lowest Theft Risk
Ranked from the HLDI (Highway Loss Data Institute) Whole Vehicle Theft Losses (Insurance Report WT-24) (2025). CarOutlay adds the ownership-cost lens — what each result means for the real 5-year cost of owning the car.
The ranking
HLDI's 20 vehicle series LEAST likely to be stolen, 2022–24 model years. Lower index = stolen less often. 100 = the all-passenger-vehicle average.
- Tesla Model 3 electric 4dr 4WD Least stolen Just 1% of the average theft rate. 1
- Tesla Model Y electric 4dr 4WD 2
- Tesla Model 3 electric 4dr 2
- Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid 4dr 4WD 5
- Tesla Model S electric 4dr 4WD 5
- Volvo XC90 4dr 4WD 6
- Volvo XC40 4dr 4WD 7
- Ford Mustang Mach-E electric 4dr 8
- Volkswagen ID.4 electric 4dr 9
- Subaru Crosstrek station wagon 4WD w/ EyeSight 9
- Lexus NX 350 4dr 4WD 9
- Ford Explorer 4dr 10
- Infiniti QX60 4dr 4WD 11
- Kia EV6 electric 4dr 4WD 11
- BMW iX electric 4dr 4WD 11
- Mini Cooper 12
- Toyota Venza hybrid 4dr 4WD 12
- Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class 4dr 4WD 12
- Volvo XC90 plug-in hybrid 4dr 4WD 13
- Hyundai Elantra hybrid 13
Why this matters for your cost of ownership
A vehicle that is rarely stolen generates very few theft claims, which is exactly what the comprehensive portion of your premium prices. Models with theft rates at 1–13% of average tend to carry lower comprehensive costs than high-theft trucks and sports cars — a recurring saving across every year you own the car. Because insurance is one of the three biggest ongoing ownership costs, low theft risk is a small but real tailwind on your five-year total (just remember EVs offset some of that with faster depreciation). Enter the specific model and a real quote in our TCO calculator to see the net effect.
Open the 5-Year TCO calculatorHow this ranking is measured
Same HLDI WT-24 (May 2025) dataset as the most-stolen list, inverted to show the lowest whole-vehicle theft claim frequencies. HLDI uses insurance comprehensive-coverage claims, isolates whole-vehicle thefts from minor contents/parts thefts, and standardizes for driver and location variables so the index reflects the vehicle itself. The relative index sets 100 as the all-passenger-vehicle average; the Tesla Model 3 4WD's score of 1 means it is stolen at just 1% of the average rate. HLDI notes that all 20 of the best results had theft claim frequencies under 15% of average, with electrics and hybrids heavily represented — likely reflecting connected-car tracking, keyless security, and theft-recovery technology.
Source: HLDI (Highway Loss Data Institute), Whole Vehicle Theft Losses (Insurance Report WT-24) (2025). HLDI report WT-24, May 2025, covering 2022–24 model-year vehicles. Each vehicle series met a 20,000 insured-vehicle-year or 100-claim reporting threshold; 282 series qualified. View the original study ↗
Frequently asked questions
What car is least likely to be stolen?
In HLDI's 2025 report, the Tesla Model 3 electric (4WD) has the lowest whole-vehicle theft claim frequency of any vehicle studied — just 1% of the average rate. The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 (rear-drive), the Toyota RAV4 Prime, and the Tesla Model S round out the least-stolen list, which is dominated by electric and hybrid vehicles.
Why are electric cars stolen so rarely?
Several factors: most EVs use keyless systems and connected-car apps that can locate and immobilize the vehicle, recovery-tracking is built in, and thieves face challenges fencing or operating them. In HLDI's data, eight of the 20 least-stolen vehicles are electric (four of them Teslas) and four more are hybrids or plug-in hybrids. Their theft claim frequencies run far below the average vehicle.
Does a low-theft car save me money on insurance?
It can lower the comprehensive portion of your premium, which is the coverage that pays for theft. A model stolen at a small fraction of the average rate generates fewer theft claims, so insurers often price it more favorably for theft risk. It's only one of many rating factors, so always compare real quotes — but low theft risk is a point in your favor on the insurance line of your cost of ownership.
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