Theft & risk
Most-Stolen Cars — Highest 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 worst vehicle series for whole-vehicle theft, 2022–24 model years. Higher index = stolen more often. 100 = the all-passenger-vehicle average.
- Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 2dr Stolen most Large sports car — ~39.5x the average theft rate. 3,949
- Acura TLX 4dr 4WD ~21x average. 2,138
- Chevrolet Camaro 2dr 1,287
- GMC Sierra 2500 crew cab 4WD 1,023
- Acura TLX 4dr 805
- GMC Sierra 3500 crew cab 4WD 742
- Chevrolet Silverado 3500 crew cab 4WD 662
- Dodge Durango 4dr 4WD 592
- Land Rover Range Rover 4dr 4WD 540
- Ram 1500 crew cab SWB 4WD 524
- Chevrolet Silverado 2500 crew cab 4WD 402
- Ram 3500 crew cab LWB 4WD 387
- Honda CR-V hybrid 4dr 4WD 340
- GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab 324
- Dodge Durango 4dr 300
- GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab 4WD 292
- BMW X7 4dr 4WD 277
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4dr LWB 4WD 267
- Jeep Gladiator crew cab 4WD 264
- Cadillac Escalade ESV 4dr 4WD 260
Most-stolen vehicles by raw count (NICB 2024)
The National Insurance Crime Bureau's 2024 'most stolen' list, by total thefts. Older Hyundai/Kia models without engine immobilizers drove these totals. (NICB published an official top 5 for 2024.)
- Hyundai Elantra Most stolen 31,712
- Hyundai Sonata 26,720
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500 21,666
- Honda Accord 18,539
- Kia Optima 17,493
Why this matters for your cost of ownership
Theft risk feeds directly into the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance premium. Insurers price each model's theft frequency and the size of theft claims, so a vehicle stolen at 5–40 times the average rate costs more to insure against theft — sometimes hundreds of dollars a year more in comprehensive coverage, plus your deductible and the hassle if it actually happens. Insurance is one of the three largest ongoing costs of ownership, so a high-theft model quietly inflates your five-year total even if nothing is ever stolen. Run the specific model through our TCO calculator with a real insurance quote to capture this hidden cost.
Open the 5-Year TCO calculatorHow this ranking is measured
The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of IIHS funded by auto insurers, measures whole-vehicle theft using insurance comprehensive-coverage claims. It isolates 'whole vehicle' thefts (where the entire car is taken, near the vehicle's residual value) from minor contents/parts thefts, then standardizes for driver age, location, deductible and other variables so the figure reflects the vehicle itself. The relative claim-frequency index sets 100 as the all-passenger-vehicle average (0.45 claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years); a score of 3,949 means ~39.5 times the average. The separate NICB 'most stolen' list counts raw theft reports nationwide and is dominated by high-volume, easily-stolen models, which is why it looks different from HLDI's rate-based ranking.
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 with over 43 million insured vehicle years and 19,000+ theft claims. Secondary list: NICB 2024 vehicle-theft data (850,708 vehicles stolen nationwide). View the original study ↗
Frequently asked questions
What car is stolen the most?
By theft rate, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has the highest whole-vehicle theft claim frequency in HLDI's 2025 report — nearly 40 times the average vehicle. By raw number of thefts, the Hyundai Elantra was the most-stolen vehicle in 2024 with 31,712 thefts, according to the NICB. They differ because one measures how often a model is stolen relative to how many are on the road, and the other simply counts total thefts.
Why are Hyundai and Kia models stolen so often?
Many 2011–2021 Hyundai and Kia models were built without engine immobilizers, a basic anti-theft device, which left them vulnerable to a theft method that spread widely on social media. That security gap is why models like the Hyundai Elantra and Sonata and the Kia Optima top the NICB's raw-count lists. Newer models and software updates have reduced the risk, and overall U.S. thefts fell 17% in 2024.
Does owning a frequently-stolen car raise my insurance?
Yes — specifically the comprehensive coverage that pays for theft. Insurers price each model's theft frequency and claim cost, so a high-theft vehicle generally carries a higher comprehensive premium. It can also affect whether lenders or insurers require certain coverage. If you're choosing between models, a lower theft rate is one quiet way to reduce your insurance line over five years.
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