Car Thefts Are Down, Data Shows, But One Component Remains A Hot Item

Car Thefts Are Down, Data Shows, But One Component Remains A Hot ItemByJim Gorzelany,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Jim Gorzelany is a veteran automotive journalist.Follow AuthorJun 12, 2026, 06:45am EDTStill, data shows that one car, truck or SUV is stolen every 48 seconds in the U.SgettyThe number of cars reported stolen last year dropped to levels not seen in decades, according to data compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). The organization says they were 23% fewer car crimes reported in 2025, which amounts to 659,880 units targeted by thieves. That’s on top of a 17% plunge in 2024, and would seem to negate the prior pandemic-fueled surge in vehicle thefts that peaked at 1,020,729 in 2023.Still, one car, truck or SUV is illegally acquired every 48 seconds in the U.S., with the NICB reporting an even greater frequency in crowded urban areas.Motorists in Washington State enjoyed the largest drop in vehicle thefts by state at 39% last year, followed by Colorado and Puerto Rico at -35% and -34%, respectively.The state that suffered from the highest frequency of vehicle thefts last year, according to the NICB, is California, with a whopping 136,998 units reported stolen. Texas comes in second at a much-lower – though still too high – 75,269 vehicles taken in 2025. Illinois places third on the most-wanted list, though at 28,327 it suffered nearly one-fifth of California’s 2005 losses. As has been the case in recent years, the NICB says the most-frequently taken vehicles tend to be older versions of popular, though hardly flashy vehicles, led by the Hyundai Elantra at 21,732 units. Rounding out the top five in this regard is the Honda Accord (17,797), Hyundai Sonata (17,687), Chevrolet Silverado (16,764 ), Honda Civic (12,725) and the Kia Optima (11,521).Cars like these are most often driven or towed away to a so-called “chop shop” where they’re dismantled for their individual parts. The main she...