California Accounts for One in Five Vehicle Thefts Nationwide, New Data Shows

A car is stolen somewhere in the United States every 48 seconds, and new data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau shows California drivers carry a wildly disproportionate share of that risk. The state accounted for 136,988 of the nation’s 659,880 reported vehicle thefts last year, roughly one in every five thefts nationwide and 45 percent more than second-place Texas.

California and Los Angeles Lead the Nation

The gap between California and the rest of the country is stark. Texas recorded 75,269 thefts last year for second place, followed by Illinois at 28,327, Florida at 27,142 and New York at 24,206. No other state came close to California’s total, and the Los Angeles metro area alone accounted for 53,911 stolen vehicles, more than double the number recorded in second-place New York City at 27,138.

Other major metro areas rounding out the top 10 for vehicle theft last year include Chicago at 24,299, Houston at 23,659, San Francisco at 22,197, Dallas at 21,638, Philadelphia at 19,117, Washington D.C. at 15,204, Riverside at 14,111 and Seattle at 12,684. Three of the 10 highest-theft metro areas in the country sit inside California alone.

The Cars Thieves Target Most

Nationally, the Hyundai Elantra topped the list of most-stolen vehicles for the year with 21,732 units taken, followed by the Honda Accord at 17,797 and the Hyundai Sonata at 17,687. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 came in fourth at 16,764 thefts, trailed by the Honda Civic, Kia Optima, Ford F-150, Toyota Camry, Honda CR-V and Nissan Altima to round out the top 10.

The pattern holds across years: the vehicles thieves target most are rarely flashy or expensive. They tend to be older, well-worn, high-volume models that blend into a crowded parking lot and can be stripped for parts at a chop shop without drawing attention. Catalytic converters remain a particular target: a single unit can fetch $250 or more on the black market for the platinum, palladium and rhodium inside.

Why Hyundai and Kia Thefts Are Falling

Hyundai and Kia models still show up on the most-stolen list, but their share of overall thefts has dropped for three straight years. The two brands now account for 14 percent of all vehicle thefts nationwide, down from 21 percent in 2023, when viral videos showing how to hot-wire certain models using nothing more than a USB cable pushed thefts of those cars up by roughly 1,000 percent in some markets.

Software updates and anti-theft technology rolled out by both automakers in response to that surge get much of the credit for the decline, along with steering wheel locks distributed by some police departments and insurers to owners of vulnerable models.

What’s Behind the National Decline

The overall theft numbers still fell sharply, even with California’s outsized total. The 659,880 vehicles reported stolen nationwide last year mark a 23 percent drop from 2024, which itself was down 17 percent from 2023, putting theft rates at their lowest level in four decades. The NICB attributes the decline to the fading effects of a pandemic-era surge, when a sudden glut of parked cars sitting outside homes amid work-from-home and remote-learning shutdowns created easy targets.

“Coordinated prevention efforts by law enforcement, auto manufacturers, insurance companies and the National Insurance Crime Bureau are having a major impact on vehicle thefts nationwide,” said NICB President and CEO David Glawe. “But with several hundred thousand vehicles stolen in a single year, vigilance and prevention efforts remain key to protecting families, businesses and communities nationwide.”

How to Protect Your Car

Park in well-lit areas with the windows closed and doors locked, and take a second look before leaving a vehicle in an unfamiliar garage or lot if someone is loitering nearby. When parking on an incline, turn the wheels toward the curb to make towing harder. Never leave a spare key hidden in a magnetic box under the car or tucked in the glove compartment, and don’t leave the vehicle’s title inside the cabin: a thief can use it as fraudulent proof of ownership if stopped by police.

A steering wheel lock, hidden kill switch or aftermarket alarm all add friction that pushes opportunistic thieves toward an easier target, and locking lug nuts protect against wheel theft on vehicles with costly alloy rims. An inexpensive GPS tracker, including a basic Apple AirTag tucked in the vehicle, can help recover a stolen car quickly, and quick recovery pays off: roughly a third of stolen vehicles are recovered the same day they’re reported, and nearly half within two days. Anyone whose car is stolen should call police immediately and contact their insurer the same day: most policies require a police report before honoring a claim.

Sources:

• Forbes: These Are The Most Stolen Cars In The U.S., Data Shows
• National Insurance Crime Bureau: News Releases