Most and Least Stolen Cars In USA New Official Report From IIHS

The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 raced to the top of the list of America’s most-stolen vehicles, while a software upgrade helped reduce theft rates for Hyundai and Kia vehicles, new research from the Highway Loss Data Institute shows.

The Camaro ZL1 and the regular Camaro account for two of the five most-stolen model year 2022-24 vehicles, HLDI’s latest analysis shows. Relative to its numbers on the roads, the Camaro ZL1 had a whole-vehicle theft rate 39 times the average for all vehicles. The frequency of whole-vehicle theft claims for the standard Camaro was 13 times as high as the average.

“Muscle cars have often topped this list, as thieves are attracted to vehicles with high horsepower,” said Matt Moore, chief insurance operations officer at HLDI and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “That also helps explain why the more expensive, more powerful ZL1 is stolen so much more often than the standard Camaro.”

Along with the two Camaro variants, pickup trucks and other expensive or high-horsepower models dominate the list of the top 20 vehicles with the highest claim frequencies for whole-vehicle theft.

On the other end of the spectrum, the 20 least-stolen vehicles include eight electric vehicles and two plug-in hybrids, all of which have whole-vehicle theft claim frequencies that are more than 85% lower than the all-vehicle average. As past HLDI studies have noted, electric vehicles are likely to be garaged or parked near buildings to facilitate charging, making them less attractive to thieves.

On top of the high horsepower that makes the Camaro an attractive target, a technical glitch seems to have created new opportunities for thieves to steal it, according to news reports.

Thieves can steal modern vehicles by cloning the owner’s key fob with an electronic device. Ordinarily, they need access to the fob to copy it. But some media outlets have reported that thieves are able to clone the key code for newer Camaros by accessing the on-board ports that technicians use to retrieve diagnostic codes and monitor data about fuel economy, emissions and other aspects of performance.

Most theft claims don’t indicate whether the entire vehicle or just some components or vehicle contents were stolen. For its ranking of the most-stolen vehicles, HLDI identifies whole-vehicle thefts by comparing the dollar amounts of theft claims with what insurers pay for the same vehicles when they’re totaled in a crash.

HLDI delved deeper into the situation with a separate analysis of Camaro theft claims for model years 2010-24.

That analysis showed that theft claim frequencies — both whole-vehicle and smaller claims — for Camaro variants were relatively stable from 2020 through 2022 but rose sharply in 2023 and continued to climb through much of 2024. It also indicated a clear break in the pattern beginning with model year 2016, which was when a keyless, push-button start system was introduced.

“We expect powerful and high-value vehicles to be targeted, and these models check both those boxes,” Moore said. “But it stood out to us that Camaros that were nearly 10 years old had such high claim frequencies.”

Theft claims for model year 2016-24 Camaros began to soar in 2023. Claim frequency for the newer models peaked in March 2024 at 18.3 claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years, compared with about 1.3 claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years for 2010-15 models. (One insured vehicle year equals one vehicle insured for one year, two vehicles insured for six months, and so forth.)

Texas and California were the first states to show spikes in theft claims for Camaros. In 2024, California recorded the highest theft claim frequencies for these vehicles, followed by Tennessee, Mississippi, Maryland and Texas.

In March 2025, General Motors launched a service campaign aimed at reducing theft risk for 2020-24 Camaro models. Under the initiative, owners can bring their vehicles to dealerships for a free software update.

HLDI hopes to study how the new software influences theft claims. In the meantime, Camaro owners should contact a nearby dealer to get the update as soon as possible, Moore said.

A similar campaign has worked well for Hyundai and Kia, which saw some of their models unexpectedly break into the top 20 most-stolen vehicles in 2021, another recent report shows.

After a HLDI analysis revealed that many of the older models targeted by thieves were not equipped with electronic immobilizers as standard equipment, the brands began offering affected owners a theft-deterrent software upgrade that performs the same function.

HLDI has been tracking the campaign’s impact since it began in February 2023. The latest analysis shows that the frequency of theft claims of all kinds was 46% lower for eligible Hyundai and Kia vehicles that received the upgrade than for those that didn’t. Whole-vehicle theft claims were 52% less frequent for vehicles with the upgrade.

Another signal that the software is working is an increase in the frequency of vandalism claims, many of which likely reflect damage that occurred during thwarted theft attempts.

Despite the improvements, however, in December 2024, the most recent month that the analysis covers, theft claim frequencies for the eligible model year 2011-22 vehicles remained high, at nearly 10 and 11 claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years for Kia and Hyundai, respectively. In contrast, theft claim frequency for 2011-22 vehicles from all manufacturers was less than two claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years. Only 41% of the eligible Hyundai vehicles and 40% of the eligible Kia vehicles had received the upgrade as of December, so it’s not surprising that they continue to be targeted.

Owners of newer models have less reason for concern, HLDI’s latest whole-vehicle theft report shows. Whole-vehicle theft rates for 2022-24 Hyundai and Kia models, most or all of which have electronic immobilizers as standard equipment, are substantially lower than the all-vehicle average.

“This intervention showed dramatic results right off the bat, offering owners some peace of mind,” Moore said. “Owners who still haven’t gotten the software upgrade should do so immediately, as it’s the best way to protect their vehicle.”

Vehicles with the HIGHEST claim frequencies for whole-vehicle theft

2022-24 model years

	Vehicle size/type	Relative claim frequency (100 = average)
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1	Large sports car	3,949
Acura TLX 4WD	Large luxury car	2,138
Chevrolet Camaro	Large sports car	1,287
GMC Sierra 2500 crew cab 4WD	Very large pickup	1,023
Acura TLX 2WD	Large luxury car	805
GMC Sierra 3500 crew cab 4WD	Very large pickup	742
Chevrolet Silverado 3500 crew cab 4WD	Very large pickup	662
Dodge Durango 4WD	Large SUV	592
Land Rover Range Rover 4WD	Large luxury SUV	540
Ram 1500 crew cab short-wheelbase 4WD	Large pickup	524
Chevrolet Silverado 2500 crew cab 4WD	Very large pickup	402
Ram 3500 crew cab long-wheelbase 4WD	Very large pickup	387
Honda CR-V hybrid 4WD	Small SUV	340
GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab 2WD	Large pickup	324
Dodge Durango 2WD	Large SUV	300
GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab 4WD	Large pickup	292
BMW X7 4WD	Large luxury SUV	277
Mercedes-Benz S-Class long-wheelbase 4WD	Very large luxury car	267
Jeep Gladiator crew cab convertible 4WD	Small pickup	264
Cadillac Escalade ESV 4WD	Large luxury SUV	260

Vehicles with the LOWEST claim frequencies for whole-vehicle theft

2022-24 model years

	Vehicle size/type	Relative claim frequency (100 = average)
Tesla Model 3 4WD	Midsize luxury car (electric)	1
Tesla Model Y 4WD	Midsize luxury SUV (electric)	2
Tesla Model 3 2WD	Midsize luxury car (electric)	2
Toyota RAV4 Prime 4WD	Small SUV (plug-in hybrid)	5
Tesla Model S 4WD	Large luxury car (electric)	5
Volvo XC90 4WD	Midsize luxury SUV	6
Volvo XC40 4WD	Small luxury SUV	7
Ford Mustang Mach-E	Midsize SUV (electric)	8
Volkswagen ID.4	Midsize SUV (electric)	9
Subaru Crosstrek 4WD with EyeSight (2024)	Small station wagon	9
Lexus NX 350 4WD	Midsize luxury SUV	9
Ford Explorer	Midsize SUV	10
Infiniti QX60 4WD	Midsize luxury SUV	11
Kia EV6 4WD	Small SUV (electric)	11
BMW iX 4WD	Midsize luxury SUV (electric)	11
Mini Cooper	Minicar	12
Toyota Venza hybrid 4WD	Small SUV	12
Mercedes-Benz GLC 4WD	Midsize luxury SUV	12
Volvo XC90 Plug-In Hybrid 4WD	Midsize luxury SUV (plug-in hybrid)	13
Hyundai Elantra hybrid	Small car	13