The most stolen cars in America

The Hyundai Elantra was the most stolen vehicle in the U.S. in 2025, with 21,732 thefts, followed by the Honda Accord and the Hyundai Sonata, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau's 2025 Vehicle Theft Report, released March 18, 2026 (NICB). The list is dominated by popular sedans, older models and full-size pickups. Overall thefts fell 23% in 2025 to 659,880, the lowest level in several decades, but that is still about one vehicle every 48 seconds.

The 2025 list

NICB's most stolen vehicles in 2025, by number of thefts:

Hyundai and Kia vehicles made up 14% of all thefts in 2025, down from 16% in 2024 and 21% in 2023, which NICB attributes to software updates and other theft-prevention measures. The story behind those brands is in The Kia and Hyundai theft wave and insurance.

Theft is concentrated geographically. California recorded 136,988 thefts in 2025, more than 20% of the national total, followed by Texas with 75,269. More than a third of all thefts happened in the 10 metro areas with the most thefts, led by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim. The decline continued into 2026: NICB reported 268,415 thefts in the first half of the year, down 21% from a year earlier, with every state recording a decrease (NICB).

How NICB builds the list

NICB has published an annual most-stolen list for years, known in the past as its "Hot Wheels" report. Describing that report in 2021, NICB said it examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center and identifies the makes, models and model years most reported stolen (NICB). The 2025 list above comes from its 2025 Vehicle Theft Report.

Two things follow from that method:

• It counts raw thefts. A model with millions of cars on the road can top the list even if any one owner's risk is modest.
• It includes all ages. In NICB's list of 2020 thefts, the most commonly stolen model year was 2000 for the Honda Civic and 1997 for the Honda Accord. Older cars without modern anti-theft electronics remain easy targets.

A different list: theft rates

The Highway Loss Data Institute ranks theft differently. It measures insurance claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years, which adjusts for how many of each model are on the road, and it identifies whole-vehicle thefts by comparing claim amounts with what insurers pay when the same model is totaled in a crash (IIHS-HLDI).

In its August 2025 analysis of 2022-24 models, HLDI found:

• The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 had a whole-vehicle theft rate 39 times the average for all vehicles; the standard Camaro's was 13 times the average.
• Heavy-duty pickups such as the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500, the Range Rover and other expensive or high-horsepower models filled the rest of the top 20.
• The 20 least-stolen vehicles included eight electric vehicles and two plug-in hybrids.

So the NICB list tells you which cars thieves take most often in total; the HLDI list tells you which cars are most likely to be stolen relative to their numbers. Your insurer's prices are built on claim data closer to HLDI's approach. IIHS and HLDI insurance loss data: what it shows about cars explains HLDI's data.

What theft risk means for your premium

Theft is paid under comprehensive coverage, so a model's theft experience mostly affects that part of your premium. Insurers reflect it in how they rate each model, often through a vehicle symbol, and in territory rating, since where the car is kept matters as much as what it is. NICB notes that location is part of standard underwriting for theft risk.

If you carry only liability coverage, a stolen car is not covered at all. If you carry comprehensive, the insurer pays the car's actual cash value, minus your deductible, if it is not recovered or is recovered badly damaged.

If you own a car on the list

1. Keep comprehensive coverage while the car has meaningful value, and pick a deductible you can afford after a theft.
2. Get any manufacturer security update. Hyundai and Kia offered anti-theft software, and HLDI reports General Motors launched a free software update for 2020-24 Camaros in March 2025.
3. Add layers. NICB recommends locking the car, taking the keys, parking in well-lit areas and considering steering wheel locks, alarms, kill switches or tracking devices.
4. Ask about an anti-theft device discount; see safety feature and anti-theft discounts.
5. Record your VIN and plate somewhere outside the car, so you can report a theft quickly.

If the worst happens, what to do if your car is stolen walks through the police report and claim.

Key takeaways

• NICB's 2025 report ranks the Hyundai Elantra first with 21,732 thefts, followed by the Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata.
• U.S. vehicle thefts fell 23% in 2025 to 659,880 and kept falling in the first half of 2026.
• NICB counts total thefts reported to police; HLDI ranks theft rates per insured vehicle, where muscle cars and heavy pickups lead.
• Theft risk mostly affects the comprehensive part of your premium, along with where you live.
• Security updates, layered anti-theft devices and comprehensive coverage are the practical defenses.