I Do Not Like Mondays

Lead photo by Filipp Romanovski, Pexels

Last year, vehicle thefts in the United States increased by a little over 1%, following on the heels of a 7% increase the prior year, finds a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, or NICB. In 2022, some 1,008,756 vehicles were reported stolen, and in 2023 that number climbed to 1,020,729.

The increase in vehicle thefts “should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and law enforcement agencies to combat this troubling trend and protect our communities,” David J. Glawe, president and CEO of NICB, said in a statement.

As of 2022, there were a total of nearly 279,000,000 personal and commercial vehicles registered to drivers in the U.S., according to Forbes. Using that figure, it means that overall, Americans’ chances of having their car stolen are a little greater than one in 280.

But it’s not quite that simple. For example, urban centers and more densely populated areas have higher concentrations of vehicle theft, NICB notes. And certain cars and trucks, due in part to their prevalence, desirability or other characteristics, are stolen more often than others.

Examining 2023 reported vehicle thefts at face value, however, NICB determined the top 10 states for vehicle thefts, which were:

1. California (208,668 total thefts)
2. Texas (115,013 total thefts)
3. Florida (46,213 total thefts)
4. Washington (43,160 total thefts)
5. Illinois (41,528 total thefts)
6. Colorado (34,068 total thefts)
7. New York (32,715 total thefts)
8. Ohio (31,647 total thefts)
9. Georgia (28,171 total thefts)
10. Missouri (27,279 total thefts)

Perhaps a more meaningful ranking is by rate of vehicle thefts — and there was a clear standout by that methodology. According to NICB, looking at vehicle thefts in 2023 per 100,000 people, U.S. states ranked:

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1. District of Columbia (1,149.71)
2. Colorado (583.25)
3. Nevada (572.70)
4. Washington (554.44)
5. California (534.49)
6. New Mexico (489.67)
7. Missouri (441.61)
8. Maryland (427.99)
9. Oregon (394.14)
10. Texas (383.00)

So the District of Columbia stood out with a per-person vehicle theft rate around twice as high as the next highest hotspot per capita, Colorado. Notably, Colorado, Washington, California, Missouri and Texas appeared on both the highest total vehicle thefts list and the highest rate of vehicle thefts list.

What cars are most frequently stolen? NICB monitors that as well, and reports that in 2022, the most stolen vehicles were full-size pickups. Specifically, the top 10 vehicles stolen in the United States were:

1. Chevrolet full-size pickup (49,903 stolen/ 2004 was most common model year)
2. Ford full-size pickup (48,175 stolen/ 2006 was most common model year)
3. Honda Civic (27,113 stolen/ 2000 was most common model year)
4. Honda Accord (27,089 stolen/ 1997 was most common model year)
5. Hyundai Sonata (21,707 stolen/ 2013 was most common model year)
6. Hyundai Elantra (19,602 stolen/ 2017 was most common model year)
7. Kia Optima (18,221 stolen/ 2015 was most common model year)
8. Toyota Camry (17,094 stolen/ 2021 was most common model year)
9. GMC full-size pickup (16,622 stolen/ 2005 was most common model year)
10. Honda CR-V (13,832 stolen/ 2001 was most common model year)

What Can You Do?

The “lesson learned” might be not to own a Chevy or Ford full-size pickup — or to be extra careful if you have one. By these 2022 theft figures, those two vehicles combined saw nearly four times more thefts than the next most stolen vehicle!

NICB also notes that recovery rates are much higher if thefts are reported the same day they occur, so here are three tips the organization says to keep in mind:

1. Keep information including your vehicle’s year, make, model, color, license plate number, and Vehicle Identification Number handy — and separate from just in your vehicle!

2. Immediately report your vehicle as stolen to the police.

3. Report your stolen vehicle to your insurer — you may need a police report in order to do this.  

And don’t even become complacent with your vehicle’s security. That’s part of the problem, according to NICB, so be sure to close all windows and simply lock your vehicle and activate its antitheft system, if it has one. Don’t ever leave your vehicle running and leave the area.

Store any valuables out of sight, such as in the trunk or glove box, and never leave your keys in the vehicle. Try your best to park in well-lit areas, NICB recommends. When all’s said and done, you can never fully prevent the possibility of vehicle theft, but what you do before and after any theft can make a big difference.