The cars most likely to be stolen in every state
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If you have an older, less expensive car and think that makes you less of a target for car thieves, think again. In fact, across all 50 states for the most recent year data is available, 2019, there are remarkably few 2018 models — and only five 2019 models — on the ‘most stolen’ list. The more popular a vehicle is, it appears the more of a target it becomes for would-be car thieves. Full-size Ford and Chevy pickup trucks and Honda Civics are extremely popular, fairly affordable cars and also top the list for cars most likely to be stolen across the U.S.
Other factors that determine how likely a vehicle is to be stolen are the location and the model year. Whether a thief prefers an older model without an anti-theft system, or a newer one with an easily-replicated key fob, there are a few factors that can make some cars more attractive than others to auto thieves.
Which car models are most likely to be stolen?
- Full-size Ford pickup trucks are the most likely cars to be stolen across the U.S., taking the top spot as “most stolen” in 19 states and “second-most stolen” in 13 states.
- Chevrolet pickup trucks are also highly desirable to auto thieves, accounting for the top spot for “most stolen” in 14 states.
- Trucks are not the only targets; the Honda Civic is the most popular stolen standard car, particularly the 2000 model year.
Cars most likely to be stolen in the U.S.
Each year, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) tracks data from across the country regarding the vehicles most stolen.
- In 2019, the Ford pickup truck took the top spot, with almost 39,000 reported thefts. The 2006 model year has the highest reported thefts among the Ford Pickup.
- The Honda Civic is the second most stolen vehicle, with over 30,000 thefts reported in 2019, and the 2000 model year proving to be the most desirable.
- Rounding out the top five most stolen cars are the full-size Chevrolet pickup truck, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry.
Cars most likely to be stolen in every state
| State | Top three car models stolen |
|---|---|
| Alabama | #1. 2007 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2000 Honda Accord |
| Alaska | #1. 2002 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 1997 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2004 GMC Pickup (full-size) |
| Arizona | #1. 2004Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2000 Honda Civic |
| Arkansas | #1. 2003 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2004 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 1997 GMC Pickup (full-size) |
| California | #1. 2000 Honda Civic #2. 1997 Honda Accord #3. 2003 Ford Pickup (full-size) |
| Colorado | #1. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 1998 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2006 Honda Civic |
| Connecticut | #1. 1996 Honda Accord #2. 1998 Honda Civic #3. 2015 Nissan Altima |
| Delaware | #1. 2009 Honda Accord #2. 2000 Honda Civic #3. 2018 Nissan Altima |
| District of Columbia | #1. 2013 Honda Accord #2. 2018 Toyota Camry #3. 2018 Toyota Corolla |
| Florida | #1. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2018 Nissan Altima #3. 2019 Toyota Camry |
| Georgia | #1. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2007 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2008 Honda Accord |
| Hawaii | #1. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2000 Honda Civic #3. 2016 Toyota Tacoma |
| Idaho | #1. 2004 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2003 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 1998 Honda Civic |
| Illinois | #1. 2008 Chevrolet Impala #2. 2013 Chevrolet Malibu #3. 2018 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee |
| Indiana | #1. 2005 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2000 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2008 Chevrolet Impala |
| Iowa | #1. 2005 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2005 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2004 Chevrolet Impala |
| Kansas | #1. 2001 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2005 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 1997 Honda Accord |
| Kentucky | #1. 2004 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2004 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2009 Toyota Camry |
| Louisiana | #1. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2006 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2015 Nissan Altima |
| Maine | #1. 2009 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2015 GMC Pickup (full-size) #3. 2017 Ford Pickup (full-size) |
| Maryland | #1. 2013 Honda Accord #2. 2014 Toyota Camry #3. 2012 Honda Civic |
| Massachusetts | #1. 1997 Honda Accord #2. 2000 Honda Civic #3. 2018 Toyota Camry |
| Michigan | #1. 2019 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2017 Ford Fusion #3. 2019 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee |
| Minnesota | #1. 2000 Honda Accord #2. 1996 Honda Civic #3. 2000 Honda CR-V |
| Mississippi | #1. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2008 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2017 Nissan Altima |
| Missouri | #1. 2004 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2001 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2005 Dodge Pickup (full-size) |
| Montana | #1. 2004 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 1994 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2007 Dodge Pickup (full-size) |
| Nebraska | #1. 2006 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2004 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2001 Dodge Pickup (full-size) |
| Nevada | #1. 1998 Honda Civic #2. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2004 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) |
| New Hampshire | #1. 2010 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2003 Honda Accord #3. 2004 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) |
| New Jersey | #1. 2018 Honda Accord #2. 2000 Honda Civic #3. 2006Ford Pickup (full-size) |
| New Mexico | #1. 2004 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2005 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2015 Hyundai Sonata |
| New York | #1. 2018 Honda Accord #2. 2018 Toyota Camry 2018 Honda Civic (tie) #3. 2018 Nissan Altima |
| North Carolina | #1. 2008 Honda Accord #2. 2019 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2015 Nissan Altima |
| North Dakota | #1. 2007 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2012 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2001 Dodge Pickup (full-size) |
| Ohio | #1. 2004 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2001 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2002 Honda Accord |
| Oklahoma | #1. 2000 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2001 Dodge Pickup (full-size) |
| Oregon | #1. 1998 Honda Civic #2. 1997 Honda Accord #3. 1998 Subaru Legacy |
| Pennsylvania | #1. 2004 Honda Accord #2. 1998 Honda Civic #3. 2018 Nissan Altima |
| Rhode Island | #1. 1997 Honda Accord #2. 2007 Toyota Camry #3. 2004 Ford Pickup (full-size) |
| South Carolina | #1. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2004 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2007 Honda Accord |
| South Dakota | #1. 2005 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2005 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2008 Chevrolet Impala |
| Tennessee | #1. 2002 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 1997 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2015 Nissan Altima |
| Texas | #1. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2006 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2004 Dodge Pickup (full-size) |
| Utah | #1. 1998 Honda Civic #2. 1997 Honda Accord #3. 2004 Ford Pickup (full-size) |
| Vermont | #1. 2007 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #2. 2013 Ford Pickup (full-size) #3. 2018 Subaru Impreza 2001 Honda Accord (tie) |
| Virginia | #1. 2019 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2003 Honda Accord #3. 2007 Toyota Camry |
| Washington | #1. 1998 Honda Civic #2. 1997 Honda Accord #3. 2006 Ford Pickup (full-size) |
| West Virginia | #1. 2004 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2014 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2000 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee |
| Wisconsin | #1. 2003 Dodge Caravan #2. 1998 Honda Civic #3. 2006 Chevrolet Impala |
| Wyoming | #1. 2008 Ford Pickup (full-size) #2. 2011 Chevrolet Pickup (full-size) #3. 2004 Dodge Pickup (full-size) |
(Source: NICB)
What increases the chances of a car being stolen?
The NICB cites numerous factors contributing to the overall rise in auto thefts in 2020 versus 2019. With the pandemic raging, the economic downturn and less public safety funding likely contributed to the uptick of stolen vehicles in 2020. However, there are other major factors contributing as well.
Model
The model of the vehicle is a major factor when thieves are targeting vehicles to steal. The more popular the model is, the more likely it becomes a favorite target. With the Ford F-Series continuing to dominate the sales charts in the U.S., it makes sense it would be a favorite for thieves simply due to its popularity. Additionally, when a car is popular, the market is bigger for after-market parts.
Year
The model year also plays a role in why some vehicles are higher targets than others. Key fobs used in newer models are easily acquired and removes the need for hot-wiring. On the other hand, older vehicles without the standard anti-theft systems installed are also attractive to would-be thieves because they may be easier to break into.
Value of precious metals
As the value of metals continues to climb, so does the desire to steal car parts. The catalytic converter, which is made of precious metals like platinum and rhodium, is another magnet for car thieves. Trucks and SUVs offer easier access to the catalytic converter for thieves and fuels the targeting of these types of vehicles.
Typically, older model years seem to be a bigger target for car thieves across all 50 states, from the late 90s to the mid-2000s. Whatever the make and model of your car, it’s a good idea to make sure your car insurance is up-to-date and would cover a stolen vehicle.
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