Vehicle thefts are up and pickups remain the most stolen vehicles in America, according to the latest National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Hot Wheels report. It identifies the top 10 most stolen vehicles in the United States in 2020. The Ford full size pick-up was the model most targeted by thieves for a second year in a row. Chevrolet moved into second place, pushing the Honda Civic to third.
NICB researchers say thefts were up in 2020 over 2019 due to a number of factors.
“Auto thefts saw a dramatic increase in 2020 versus 2019 in part due to the pandemic, an economic downturn, law enforcement realignment, depleted social and schooling programs, and, in still too many cases, owner complacency,” said David Glawe, president and CEO of the NICB. “For many people, a car is the second largest investment they will ever make behind a home. No matter what kind of vehicle you have, take steps to protect your investment – lock your car and take your keys.”
Thefts for all Top 10 most stolen models were up in 2020 compared to 2019, but only Ford, Chevrolet, and GMC full size pick-ups and the Honda CR-V saw double digit theft increase percentages. vIn this year's list, six of the top 10 most stolen vehicles were Japanese models.
# |
Vehicle Make/Model |
Thefts |
Increase from |
Most Common |
1 |
Ford Full Size Pick-up |
44,014 |
13.0% |
2006 |
2 |
Chevrolet Full Size Pick-up |
40,968 |
25.7% |
2004 |
3 |
Honda Civic |
34,144 |
2.8% |
2000 |
4 |
Honda Accord |
30,814 |
0.2% |
1997 |
5 |
Toyota Camry |
16,915 |
8.0% |
2019 |
6 |
Nissan Altima |
14,668 |
9.8% |
2020 |
7 |
GMC Full Size Pick-up |
13,016 |
16.6% |
2005 |
8 |
Toyota Corolla |
12,515 |
3.1% |
2020 |
9 |
Honda CR-V |
12,309 |
21.9% |
2000 |
10 |
Dodge Full Size Pick-up |
11,991 |
6.2% |
2001 |
To guard against thefts of vehicles, the NICB provides these tips on its website:
The annual Hot Wheels 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 2020.
Photo Credit: NICB