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The Street

Samanda Dorger

These Cars Are Stolen the Most in the U.S.

Toyota MO Wikipedia Chevrolet Honda Nissan Ford Dodge Hyundai BMW

Is your car more likely to be stolen if it’s a Lamborghini or a Lexus? An Aston Martin or an Alfa Romeo, a Bentley or a BMW?

Actually, no.

It turns out car thieves are much more practical-minded when it comes to what they steal, meaning your mild-mannered Toyota (TM) sedan or Honda (HMC) hatchback could be a target.

Vehicle theft is a multi-billion-dollar crime, with the cost of stolen vehicles coming in at about $7.4 billion in 2020 alone, an average of $9,166 per theft, according to the Insurance Information Institute and the FBI.

Many of those thefts are due to driver error—things like leaving the key or fob in the car, or leaving the doors unlocked.

So if it isn’t to burn rubber in a supercar, why do thieves take cars? While joyriding is a factor, usually cars are stolen for spare parts or to use as transportation for another crime—a getaway car, according to Jerry Insurance Agency.

Of nearly 181,000 vehicles stolen in California in 2020 (the state with the most stolen vehicles) most were recovered, but only 63.6% were recovered intact and in drivable condition, 3.1% were missing major components, 8.6% were stripped of minor parts, and 24.6% were intentionally burned and/or wrecked, according to the California Highway Patrol. The CHP said that in 2020, 39 vehicles were stolen just for their cargo.

The biggest market for parts is going to be for the most popular cars, so it comes as no surprise that vehicles with high sales numbers like Ford (F) pickups and Honda Civics are more frequently stolen. And because they are more common, it’s easier for thieves to get around in them without being noticed.

There are some cars that are tough to steal because of their anti-theft features, a few of these include the Tesla Model S (TSLA) , Nissan Leaf (NSANF) , BMW 3-series four-door (BMW) , and the Hyundai Tucson (HYMTF) , according to Jerry Insurance.

Here are the vehicles that were stolen the most in 2020, for all model years, followed by the most frequently stolen new models, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and the 10 worst cities for vehicle thefts.