Prevention efforts are making a substantial dent in vehicle thefts across the nation, according to newly released data by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
The non-profit organization dedicated to preventing and combating insurance crime found that vehicle thefts declined to the lowest levels in several decades, marking a 23% decrease from 2024.
This past year’s decline follows a significant 17% drop in vehicle thefts in 2024, the largest decrease in thefts in 40 years, the NICB reported.
A total of 659,880 vehicles were reported stolen nationwide last year.
“Coordinated prevention efforts by law enforcement, auto manufacturers, insurance companies, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau are having a major impact on vehicle thefts nationwide,” said NICB President and CEO David J. Glawe. “But with several hundreds of thousands of vehicles stolen in a single year, vigilance and prevention efforts remain key to protecting families, businesses, and communities nationwide.”
Several states reported substantial year-over-year decreases in vehicle theft numbers in 2025.
Washington experienced the largest percentage decrease of any state, with 39% less stolen vehicles in 2025 compared to 2024. Colorado and Puerto Rico followed closely, with 35% and 34% declines in vehicle thefts.
Top 10 States by Percentage Decreases in Thefts
- Washington -39%
- Colorado -35%
- Puerto Rico -34%
- South Dakota -32%
- Tennessee -31%
- New Mexico -31%
- North Dakota -30%
- Florida -29%
- Georgia -28%
- Arizona -27%
Despite significant declines seen in several states, vehicle thefts are concentrated in large metropolitan areas. More than one-third of all vehicle thefts occurred in the top 10 Census-defined statistical areas with the highest volumes of theft, the NICB reported.
Top 10 Metropolitan Areas by Total Vehicle Thefts
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 53,911
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 27,138
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 24,299
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 23,659
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 22,197
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 21,638
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 19,117
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 15,204
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 14,111
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 12,684
California, Texas, and Illinois topped the list of states with the most vehicle thefts.
Top 10 States by Total Vehicle Thefts
- California 136,988
- Texas 75,269
- Illinois 28,327
- Florida 27,142
- New York 24,206
- Ohio 20,628
- Pennsylvania 20,568
- North Carolina 20,395
- Washington 18,039
- Missouri 17,496
The Hyundai Elantra topped the list of the most stolen vehicle model in 2025, with 21,732 thefts reported nationwide, followed closely by the Honda Accord with 17,797 thefts.
Most Stolen Vehicles in 2025
- Hyundai Elantra 21,732
- Honda Accord 17,797
- Hyundai Sonata 17,687
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500 16,764
- Honda Civic 12,725
- Kia Optima 11,521
- Ford F150 10,102
- Toyota Camry 9,833
- Honda CR-V 9,809
- Nissan Altima 8,445
Thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles have continued to decline for the third consecutive year, according to NICB analysis. Both manufacturers account for 14% of all vehicle thefts in 2025, down from 16% in 2024 and 21% in 2023. Software updates and theft-prevention measures were implemented in response to the previous heightened theft trend.
Topics
Trends
USA
Auto
Fraud
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