US Vehicle Thefts Fall 23% as GM Makes Anti-Theft Tech Standard for Eight Years

A vehicle disappears from a driveway or parking lot somewhere in the United States roughly every 48 seconds. General Motors flagged that figure this week to mark National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, and it tracks closely with numbers from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which counted 659,880 stolen vehicles nationwide in 2025.

That total sounds grim on its own, but it actually represents a sharp two-year improvement. Thefts dropped 23% from 2024, when NICB logged 850,708 stolen vehicles, on top of a 17% decline the year before that. Investigators point to a mix of law enforcement partnerships and connected-car technology that lets owners track, disable and recover a car within minutes of it going missing, rather than hours or days later.

GM builds a chunk of that technology into every new vehicle it sells. Every 2025 model year GM vehicle and newer ships with eight years of OnStar connectivity as standard equipment, with no extra subscription needed to activate the basic security tools. Owners who turn the feature on can remotely lock or unlock the car through GM’s mobile app, sound the horn, or flash the headlights if they spot someone lingering near the vehicle. If the alarm goes off while the owner is out of earshot, OnStar pushes a notification by text, email or phone call.

Where the Numbers Are Heading

Regionally, the improvement varies widely. Washington state posted the country’s steepest drop in 2025, with thefts down 39% compared to 2024, followed by Colorado and Puerto Rico at 35% and 34%. Regina Carto, GM’s vice president of global product safety, systems and certification, credited a mix of factors for the broader trend. “Vehicle theft is constantly evolving, and so is our approach to helping protect customers,” Carto said. “We work closely with law enforcement and monitor theft trends so we can better understand emerging tactics, strengthen our technologies and help drivers stay a step ahead.”

GM’s own data backs up one persistent pattern: more than half of vehicle thefts trace back to a simple mistake, like a key fob left inside the car or an engine left running while the driver steps away.

The Tech Built Into Every New GM Vehicle

Two features do the heavy lifting once a theft is already underway. Remote Ignition Block stops a stolen vehicle’s engine from restarting once it shuts off, cutting off a thief’s ability to drive away again after a stop. Stolen Vehicle Slowdown brings a moving vehicle down to idle speed at law enforcement’s request, while keeping the brakes and steering fully functional for whoever is behind the wheel at the time.

Fleet operators get a version of the same control. GM’s OnStar Vehicle Insights platform includes Drive Block, letting a fleet manager disable a vehicle remotely from a computer if it turns up somewhere it shouldn’t be.

What Happens After a Car Goes Missing

OnStar’s call centre handles an average of 1,500 stolen-vehicle requests a month across North America, according to GM. Advisors there receive specific training for theft cases and work alongside police once a report comes in. The process starts with the owner calling law enforcement first and confirming their vehicle carries active OnStar service; once officers confirm the theft, OnStar can supply GPS coordinates and aerial imagery to help track the car down. In one case GM cited, Stolen Vehicle Assistance technology helped police recover a car in as little as 18 minutes.

That kind of speed can mean the difference between getting a stolen vehicle back the same day and never seeing it again.

Old Habits Still Cut the Odds

Technology helps, but GM’s own data shows habits still decide most outcomes. Carto pointed to that directly: “Technology matters, but simple habits still make a real difference. Taking your keys, locking your doors, securing your garage and keeping your OnStar connection active can help reduce opportunity for thieves and improve response if something does happen.”

GM’s recommended checklist reads like basic advice, but the company says it still closes off the easiest openings for thieves:

• Park in well-lit areas, lock the doors, close all windows, and take the key with you.
• Treat a key fob or key card like cash: never leave it in an unoccupied vehicle, and don’t leave it near an often-unlocked door at home.
• Keep valuables out of sight and avoid leaving laptops or other electronics inside the vehicle.
• Secure the home garage, which becomes an easy target once left open or unlocked.
• Store wheel-lock keys somewhere thieves won’t look, rather than in the glovebox or center console.
• Check that OnStar services stay active and review the vehicle’s security settings periodically.

GM isn’t alone in leaning on software to fight theft. Hyundai and Kia rolled out free anti-theft software updates across millions of vehicles after a wave of thefts targeting cars built without engine immobilizers, following viral social media videos that showed how to start those cars with nothing more than a USB cable. GM’s approach takes a different starting point: instead of patching a gap after the fact, features like Remote Ignition Block and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown ship active on every 2025 and newer model from day one.

The national trend is already moving in the right direction. NICB’s 2025 count marks the lowest theft total in decades, and GM’s built-in tools give owners a way to close off the opening most thieves still rely on: a moment of human error behind the wheel.