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. A motor vehicle is stolen on average every 45 seconds in the United States.

Vehicle thefts have been trending downward in the 23 years since they peaked at 1,661,738 in 1991, falling 58 percent to 699,594 in 2013, according to a 2014 report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). As a result, 56 percent of Americans rarely or never worry that their car will be stolen, according to a 2014 Gallop poll. The NICB 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. The number of vehicles stolen with the key or keyless entry device left inside by the owner climbed 22 percent in 2015 to 57,096, according to the NICB.

Most stolen vehicles

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reports that the Honda Accord was the most frequently stolen passenger vehicle in 2016, with 50,427 thefts among all model years of this car. The Honda Civic ranked second, with 49,547 thefts. There was no change in these models’ ranking from a year ago. The NICB notes that older Honda Accords and Civics account for almost all of these thefts. Newer Hondas are stolen less frequently, due to improved anti-theft technology like “smart keys”. Only 493 thefts of 2016 Accords were reported last year. Among 2016 model year vehicles, the Toyota Camry was the most frequently stolen vehicle in calendar year 2016, with 1,113 thefts, followed by the Nissan Altima with 1,063 thefts.