These Are the Most Stolen Vehicles in America

Full-size pickup trucks like the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado are the most popular models among car buyers in the U.S., but they’re also popular among car thieves. Full-size pickups were the most stolen vehicles in the U.S. in 2021, according to the latest report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The NCIB’s annual Hot Wheels report says vehicle thefts were up by eight percent in 2021 compared to 2020. Nearly one million vehicles were reported stolen in America last year, and full-size trucks accounted for 14 percent of them. Small and mid-size sedans like the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry were also often stolen, while the current bestseller crossovers and SUVs were not.

This could be because the popularity of crossovers and SUVs is still recent(ish), so bestseller models are relatively new and have better security — mostly. The NCIB says older models often outnumber new ones in thefts, with the exception of a few cars from Nissan, Jeep and Toyota. The report breaks down by U.S. state, but overall, here are the top ten stolen models of 2021, ordered from least to most stolen:

• 9th place(s) among Top 10 Models Stolen in U.S.
  
• 13,210 Models Stolen
• Model Year Most Stolen: 2018

Surprise, surprise. The Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee are stolen much more than the Jeep Wrangler. Well, except in Hawaii. The NCIB report doesn’t distinguish between the Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, though it should.

The Cherokee was brought back after over a decade of not being sold in the U.S., while the Grand Cherokee has sold here ever since it was introduced. The most stolen Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models, however, tend to be newer ones.

• 8th place among Top 10 Models Stolen in U.S.
  
• 13,308 Models Stolen
• Model Year Most Stolen: 2000

The Honda CR-V is one of three SUVs to make the list, but most stolen CR-Vs are, once again, older models. Most stolen models predate the unfortunate redesign of Honda’s SUV but for some reason, car thieves in New York and New Jersey still target the ugly late model version, stealing 2020-2021 Honda CR-Vs.

• 7th place among Top 10 Models Stolen in U.S.
  
• 14,108 Models Stolen
• Model Year Most Stolen: 2020

The Nissan Altima breaks the pattern of older model years being most stolen. Every car on this list has a range of model years prone to theft up to current models, but most are older. Still, most stolen Altimas are 2020 models, and these newer Nissans are most likely to be stolen in Florida.

• 6th place among Top 10 Models Stolen in U.S.
  
• 15,599 Models Stolen
• Model Year Most Stolen: 2005

The GMC Sierra is just an upscale Chevy Silverado, and its place on the stolen vehicles list reflects its place on the bestseller list; fewer Sierras sold, fewer stolen. New trucks are targets, but the most stolen model year is close to that of its Chevy cousin (2004) and the Ford F-series (2006). What about 2004-2006 trucks makes them more prone to theft? Is it the (nicer) simpler design? And why are fewer thieves targeting Ram trucks?

• 5th place among Top 10 Models Stolen in U.S.
  
• 17,270 Models Stolen
• Model Year Most Stolen: 2007

The Toyota Camry is the third sedan on the list, but is stolen significantly less than its rival from Honda, the Accord. But both the Camry and Accord are what we used to consider basic transportation before crossovers came, and the millions of models still in circulation make them more liable to be stolen.

• 4th place among Top 10 Models Stolen in U.S.
  
• 30,274 Models Stolen
• Model Year Most Stolen: 1997

The Honda Accord beats out every car on this list with the oldest model most often stolen. The 1997 Honda Accord could be proof that the last of the ’90s cars were truly the best, or it could just mean that anti-theft technology has made significant improvements in 25 years. That’s not always true, but is mostly true.

• 3rd place among Top 10 Models Stolen in U.S.
  
• 31,673 Models Stolen
• Model Year Most Stolen: 2000

While the Honda Civic is not as popular as it once was among car buyers, car thieves targeted the compact sedan more than any other model that wasn’t a truck. The prevalence of the once-small Honda Civic and a now decades-old security system is not a good combination. The NCIB urges drivers to follow simple steps like parking in well-lit areas and keeping valuables out of sight.

• 2nd place among Top 10 Models Stolen in U.S.
  
• 47,999 Models Stolen
• Model Year Most Stolen: 2006

The Ford F-150, or F-Series, slid down to second place in 2021, and has been unseated as the most stolen vehicle by Chevy’s full-size trucks. The F-Series has been a bestseller in America for years, and the NCIB says its popularity and availability make it a frequent target for car thieves. Previously, full-size Ford pickup trucks were the most stolen vehicles twice in a row: in 2020 and 2019.

• 1st place among Top 10 Models Stolen in U.S.
  
• 48,206 Models Stolen
• Model Year Most Stolen: 2004

The Chevy Silverado finally beat the Ford F-150 series to number one among the most stolen vehicles, though it feels like a pyrrhic victory. The NCIB doesn’t specify whether the Chevys are light or heavy duty trucks, but the most stolen models are on the GMT800 platform, which had light and heavy duty models.