Pickup Trucks And SUVs Are The Most-Stolen Rides On The Road, Data Shows, With EVs Being The Least Taken

While older vehicles are most prone to be the targets of car thieves for their components – especially catalytic converters with precious metals that bring a tidy sum with recyclers – it’s a different story with newer models.

Burly pickup trucks and SUVs dominate the upper strata of the list of what’s called “whole thefts.” Rather than being stripped of their parts, this term refers to vehicles that are driven off intact by thieves, either for joy-riding or title washing and illicit resale either here or abroad. Yet according to a just-released report compiled by the insurance-industry-supported Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), the most-stolen model from the 2022-2024 model years is the Chevrolet Camaro sports car in its red-hot ZL1 trim.

Though the Camaro has since been dropped from Chevy’s lineup, the high-performance ZL1 remains coveted for its potent 650-horsepower supercharged V8 engine. One of two Camaros on the most-stolen list, HLDI says that particular version suffers a whole-vehicle theft rate that’s 39 times the average for all models sold in the U.S.

“Muscle cars have often topped this list, as thieves are attracted to vehicles with high horsepower,” says 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.”

The report attributes surging Camaro thefts in recent years to a technical glitch that enables crooks to clone the key codes for newer models via the vehicles’ onboard diagnostic system. Earlier this year Chevrolet issued a service campaign that entitles affected Camaro owners to a software update that is said to fix the problem.

At the other end of the ledger, HLDI’s least-stolen list for 2022-2024 models is dominated by electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars, led by the all-wheel-drive version of the Tesla Model 3. The electrified rides on the least-stolen list each have claim frequencies that are 85% lower than average. The report says this is most likely because EVs are typically garaged or parked overnight in well-lit and secure areas for charging.

The HLDI report brings good news for Hyundai and Kia owners following a spike in whole thefts among models that lacked electronic engine immobilizers. HLDI notes that a 2023 software update resulted in 52% lower claims among affected models that received the revision. Unfortunately only around 40% of owners subject to the service campaign have yet to bring their models in for the update as of the end of 2024, so Kia and Hyundai thefts still tend to run higher than average.

We’re counting down HLDI’s lists of the most and least whole vehicle thefts from 2022-2024 below, also noting each model’s relative claim frequency with 100 being average. The full report with theft data for all makes and models can be found here.

Most-Stolen 2022-2024 Models

1. Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 sports car (3,949)
2. Acura TLX AWD sedan (2,138)
3. Chevrolet Camaro sports car (1,287)
4. GMC Sierra 2500 4WD crew cab pickup (1,023)
5. Acura TLX 2WD sedan (805)
6. GMC Sierra 3500 4WD crew cab pickup (742)
7. Chevrolet Silverado 3500 4WD crew cab pickup (662)
8. Dodge Durango 4WD SUV (592)
9. Land Rover Range Rover 4WD SUV 540
10. Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4WD short-wheelbase pickup (524)
11. Chevrolet Silverado 2500 4WD crew cab pickup (402)
12. Ram 3500 4WD crew cab long-wheelbase pickup (387)
13. Honda CR-V Hybrid AWD SUV (340)
14. GMC Sierra 1500 2WD crew cab SUV (324)
15. Dodge Durango 2WD SUV 300
16. GMC Sierra 1500 2WD crew cab pickup (292)
17. BMW X7 4WD SUV (277)
18. Mercedes-Benz S-Class AWD long-wheelbase sedan (267)
19. Jeep Gladiator 4WD crew cab convertible pickup (264)
20. Cadillac Escalade 4WD ESV SUV (260)

Least Stolen 2022-2024 Models

1. Tesla Model 3 AWD electric sedan (1)
2. Tesla Model Y AWD electric SUV (2)
3. Tesla Model 3 2WD electric SUV (2)
4. Toyota RAV4 Prime AWD plug-in hybrid (5)
5. Tesla Model S 4WD electric sedan (5)
6. Volvo XC90 AWD SUV (6)
7. Volvo XC40 AWD SUV (7)
8. Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV (8)
9. Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUV (9)
10. Subaru Crosstrek AWD SUV (9)
11. Lexus NX 350 AWD SUV (9)
12. Ford Explorer SUV (10)
13. Infiniti QX60 AWD SUV (11)
14. Kia EV6 AWD electric SUV (11)
15. BMW iX AWD SUV (11)
16. Mini Cooper hatchback (12)
17. Toyota Venza AWD hybrid SUV (12)
18. Mercedes-Benz GLC AWD SUV (12)
19. Volvo XC90 Plug-In Hybrid AWD SUV (13)
20. Hyundai Elantra hybrid sedan (13)