NICB’s Hot Wheels: America’s 10 Most Stolen Vehicles (2018 Data)

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) today released its annual Hot Wheels report, which identifies the 10 most stolen vehicles in the United States. The report examines vehicle theft data submitted by law enforcement to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and determines the vehicle make, model, and model year most reported stolen in 2018. According to the FBI, in 2018, a total of 748,841 vehicles were stolen in the United States, a 3% decline, and a return to the dominant downward trend we’ve experienced since entering the 21st century. Included with today’s release is a list of the top 25, 2018 vehicle makes and models that were reported stolen in 2018. For 2018, the most stolen vehicles* in the nation were: Rank Made/Model Model Year Most Stolen/(# Thefts) Total Model Thefts 1 Honda Civic 2000 (5,290) 38,426 2 Honda Accord 1997 (5,029) 36,815 3 Ford Pickup (Full Size) 2006 (3,173) 36,355 4 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size) 2004 (2,097) 31,566 5 Toyota Camry 2017 (1,144) 16,906 6 Nissan Altima 2017 (1,451) 13,284 7 Toyota Corolla 2017 (1,034) 12,388 8 GMC Pickup (Full Size) 2018 (1,170) 11,708 9 Dodge Pickup (Full Size) 2001 (1,155) 11,226 10 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee 2000 (646) 9,818 The following are the top 10 2018 model year vehicles stolen during calendar year 2018: Rank Make/Model Total Thefts 1 GMC Pickup (Full Size) 1,170 2 Ford Pickup (Full Size) 1,017 3 Toyota Camry 976 4 Nissan Altima 912 5 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size) 790 6 Hyundai Elantra 775 7 Ford Transit 723 8 Dodge Charger 719 9 Toyota Corolla 699 10 Chevrolet Malibu 698 NICB recommends that drivers follow our four “layers of protection” to guard against vehicle theft: Common Sense — the common sense approach to protection is the easiest and most cost-effective way to thwart would-be thieves. You should always: Remove your keys from the ignition Lock your doors/close your windows Park in a well-lit area Warning Device — the second layer of protection is a visible or audible device which alerts thieves that your vehicle is protected. Popular devices include: Audible alarms Steering column collars Steering wheel/brake pedal lock Brake locks Wheel locks Theft deterrent decals Identification markers in or on vehicle VIN etching Micro dot marking Immobilizing Device — the third layer of protection is a device which prevents thieves from bypassing your ignition and hot-wiring the vehicle. Some electronic devices have computer chips in ignition keys. Other devices inhibit the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine until a hidden switch or button is activated. Some examples are: Smart keys Fuse cut-offs Kill switches Starter, ignition, and fuel pump disablers Wireless ignition authentication Tracking Device — the final layer of protection is a tracking device which emits a signal to police or a monitoring station when the vehicle is stolen. Tracking devices are very effective in helping authorities recover stolen vehicles. Some systems employ “telematics” which combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle. If the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner and the vehicle can be tracked via computer.