Mar 18, 2025   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

Vehicle Thefts in United States Fell 17% in 2024

Largest Decrease in Stolen Vehicles in Last 40 Years

OAK BROOK, Ill., March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After four years of surging vehicle thefts, the number of stolen vehicles in the United States fell to pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Thefts nationwide decreased 17% from 2023 to 2024, dropping below the one million mark for the first time since 2021 and marking the largest annual decrease in stolen vehicles in the last 40 years, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to identifying, investigating, preventing, and deterring insurance fraud and crime.

"The overall decrease in stolen vehicles nationwide is a testament to the hard work and collaboration between law enforcement, multi-jurisdictional auto theft task forces, governing bodies, vehicle manufacturers, and NICB," said David J. Glawe, President and CEO of NICB. "Collectively, these groups used data and intelligence to develop actionable strategies to help local authorities investigate and prosecute offenders and to prevent vehicle theft from occurring in the first place."

NICB assisted thousands of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in 2024 on theft investigations, aiding in the identification of complex vehicle theft rings and the recovery of hundreds of thousands of stolen vehicles across the United States.

Last year, 850,708 vehicles were stolen nationwide, marking a significant decline from the recent historic peak of 1,020,729 thefts in 2023.


                        Year                        Vehicles Stolen
                                                     Nationwide



            2024                                           850,708



            2023                                         1,020,729



            2022                                         1,008,756



            2021                                           932,329



            2020                                           880,595

Washington, Nevada, and Oregon led the nation with the largest decreases in vehicle thefts year over year.

Top 5 States by Percent Decrease in Vehicle Thefts Between 2023 and 2024


        #            State Percent Change



     1   Washington                -32 %



     2   Nevada                    -31 %



     3   Oregon                    -30 %



     4   Nebraska                  -29 %



     5   Colorado                  -26 %

Maine experienced the nation's only increase in vehicle thefts in 2024, increasing 2% over the year prior.

The District of Columbia, despite an 18% decrease in total vehicle thefts, still experienced the nation's highest theft rate with 842.4 thefts per 100,000 residents - over three times the national average of 250.2 thefts per 100,000 residents. Colorado, on the other hand, broke a four-year trend of being the state with the highest vehicle theft rate.

Top 5 States with Highest Vehicle Theft Rate (per 100,000 People)


        #               State 2024

                                   Thefts 2023 Thefts



     1     District of
             Columbia              842.40     1,149.71



     2     California             463.21       534.49



     3     New Mexico             458.24       489.67



     4     Colorado               430.04       583.25



     5   
     Nevada                 394.42       572.70

Two Hyundai sedan models were the most stolen vehicles in 2024, followed by a Chevrolet pickup truck model.

Top 5 Vehicle Makes and Models Most Stolen in 2024


        #                Vehicle Make/Model 2024 Thefts



     1     Hyundai Elantra                      31,712



     2     Hyundai Sonata                       26,720



     3     Chevrolet Silverado
             1500                                 21,666



     4     Honda Accord                         18,539



     5   
     Kia Optima                           17,493

To prevent vehicle thefts from occurring, NICB recommends the following tips:

    --  Do not leave your keys in your vehicle
    --  Do not leave the area while your vehicle is running
    --  Park in well-lit areas
    --  Close and lock all windows and doors when you park
    --  Hide valuables out of sight, such as in the glove box or trunk
    --  If your vehicle is stolen, call law enforcement and your insurer
        immediately. Reporting a vehicle as soon as possible after it is stolen
        increases the chance of recovery

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, call NICB at 1-800-TEL-NICB or visit https://www.nicb.org/how-we-help/report-fraud.

About the National Insurance Crime Bureau: Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is the nation's leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to combatting and preventing insurance crime through Intelligence, Analytics, and Operations; Education and Crime Prevention; and Strategy, Policy, and Advocacy. NICB is supported by more than 1,200 property and casualty insurance companies and self-insured organizations. To learn more, visit NICB.org.

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SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)