Facts + Statistics: Auto theft

Motor vehicle theft

The FBI includes the theft or attempted theft of automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, scooters, snowmobiles and other vehicles in its definition of motor vehicle theft. The FBI reports that $7.4 billion was lost to motor vehicle theft in 2020. The average dollar loss per theft was $9,166. In 2020, 810,400 vehicles were stolen, the highest annual number of vehicles stolen since 2008, when 959,059 vehicles were stolen. In 2020, the number of vehicles stolen was up 11.8 percent from 724,872 in 2019. Motor vehicles were stolen at a rate of 246.0 per 100,000 people in 2020, the highest rate since 2009, when the rate was 259.2. The 2020 rate was up from 220.8 in 2019. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) counts the pandemic, economic downturn, loss of juvenile outreach programs and public safety budgetary and resource limitations as contributing factors of the motor vehicle increase in 2020.

Vehicle thefts had been trending downward in the 26 years since they peaked at 1.7 million in 1991, falling 56 percent to 724,872 in 2019, according to the FBI. The National Insurance Crime Bureau credits law enforcement efforts, along with the creation of specific antitheft programs, technology and insurance company-supported organizations such as the NICB for contributing to the theft reduction.

Despite the reduction in vehicle thefts over the past two decades, industry observers caution that thieves constantly devise new and sophisticated means of stealing autos. Tactics include acquiring smart keys, which eliminated hot-wiring to steal cars; switching vehicle identification numbers; and using stolen identities to secure loans for expensive vehicles. Also alarming is the finding that there were 229,339 vehicle thefts with keys or fobs left in the vehicles between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018. According to the NICB, this represents a 56 percent increase in vehicle thefts with keys or fobs in the vehicle from the 147,434 vehicles stolen in this manner between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015. The 2016 to 2018 vehicles stolen works out to 209 vehicles every day during those three years. The top five states with the most thefts with keys or fobs left in the vehicle during this period were California (31,185), Florida (17,300), Texas (15,511), Ohio (12,596) and Nevada (11,391).

The NICB also reports that thefts of catalytic converters, devices that convert the engine's environmentally hazardous exhaust into less harmful gasses, have been rising significantly. In 2018, there were 1,298 catalytic converter thefts reported, more than doubling to 3,389 in 2019. By 2020 they grew more than four-fold, soaring to 14,433 thefts, with December leading the way with 2,347 thefts, or roughly 16 percent of the yearly total. Catalytic converter theft repairs could cost thousands of dollars.

Most stolen vehicles

The Honda Civic was the most frequently stolen passenger vehicle in 2017, with 45,062 thefts among all model years of this car, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).  The bureau notes that most of these thefts were older models that lack the anti-theft technology of today’s models.  In fact, there were 6,707 thefts of the 1998 model year Civic, but only 388 of the 2017 Civics. The Honda Accord ranked second, with 43,764 thefts. Among 2017 model year vehicles, the Nissan Altima was the most frequently stolen vehicle in calendar year 2017, with 1,153 thefts, followed by the Toyota Camry with 1,100 thefts.