Car theft is a widespread issue, driven by factors like demand for parts and organized criminal activity.

In 2024, over 850,000 vehicles were stolen across the U.S., averaging one every 37 seconds.

To see which cars are being targeted the most, Visual Capitalist's Marcus Lu visualized the most stolen car model in every state.

The data for this visualization comes from FinanceBuzz, which reviewed 2024 auto-theft insurance claims filed with the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

StateMake and ModelVehicles StolenAlabamaToyota Camry219AlaskaChevrolet Silverado 150061ArizonaHyundai Elantra649ArkansasChevrolet Silverado 1500178CaliforniaChevrolet Silverado 15006248ColoradoHyundai Elantra998ConnecticutHyundai Elantra617DelawareHyundai Elantra73FloridaHyundai Elantra1074GeorgiaHyundai Elantra750HawaiiKia Soul75IdahoFord F150 Series37IllinoisJeep Grand Cherokee1615IndianaHyundai Elantra475IowaChevrolet Silverado 150093KansasHyundai Elantra253KentuckyHyundai Sonata419LouisianaHyundai Elantra360MaineChevrolet Silverado 150042MarylandHyundai Elantra1966MassachusettsHonda Accord/Hyundai Elantra (tie)241MichiganJeep Grand Cherokee1507MinnesotaHyundai Elantra652MississippiFord F150 Series172MissouriHyundai Elantra1074MontanaFord F150 Series60NebraskaHyundai Elantra245NevadaHyundai Elantra832New HampshireGMC Savana19New JerseyHonda Accord755New MexicoChevrolet Silverado 1500335New YorkHonda CR-V1776North CarolinaHyundai Elantra1094North DakotaChevrolet Silverado 150046OhioHyundai Elantra1351OklahomaChevrolet Silverado 1500293OregonHonda Civic435PennsylvaniaHyundai Elantra1081Rhode IslandHonda Accord60South CarolinaHonda Accord331South DakotaFord F150 Series76TennesseeNissan Maxima1501TexasChevrolet Silverado 15006453UtahHonda Civic120VermontSubaru Forester25VirginiaHyundai Elantra550WashingtonHyundai Elantra1379West VirginiaFord F150 Series50WisconsinHyundai Elantra515WyomingFord F150 Series19

The most common model in this dataset is the Hyundai Elantra, which was the most stolen car in 20 different states. The Hyundai Sonata (Kentucky) and Kia Soul (Hawaii) also made an appearance.

A major reason for this trend is that many Hyundai and Kia models produced between 2011 and 2021 lack electronic engine immobilizers—basic anti-theft tech now standard in most vehicles.

This omission made it easier for thieves to exploit vulnerabilities, especially after viral social media videos demonstrated how to steal these cars using simple tools.

Full-size pickups remain prime targets in rural and border states.

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 leads theft tallies in Texas, California, and seven additional states, while Ford’s F-150 heads the list in six others. Both models are some of the most popular vehicles sold in the country, so it makes sense they’re also frequently stolen.

High resale demand for parts, coupled with interchangeable components across model years, keeps older trucks attractive to thieves—even as new anti-theft tech rolls out.

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out How Tariffs Will Impact U.S. Car Prices on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.