How likely is your vehicle to be stolen? A new study from the Highway Loss Data Institute reveals the most-targeted vehicles on the road today, and some may surprise consumers.
When it comes to the top of the list, two Dodge muscle cars with large, powerful engines attract the eyes of thieves.
At the very top of the list of vehicles most likely to be stolen: the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. Theft claims for the Hellcat were 60 times more frequent than average for all 2020-22 models, relative to their numbers on the road, according to HLDI data.
Theft claims for the Charger HEMI were also more than 20 times higher than average.
“There's some commonalities here that we see on a regular basis. And that is, vehicles that are powerful vehicles that are pricey, expensive vehicles, and or pickup trucks. A lot of the vehicles on this list are some combination of those three things,” said HLDI's Matt Moore.
Another bit of surprising data: while Kia and Hyundai thefts in Chicago skyrocketed more than 1,500% over last year, no Hyundai’s were on the HLDI's "most stolen" list, while four Kia models were mentioned.
Theft claims for the Kia Sportage were five times more frequent than the average for all 2020-22 models, relative to their numbers on the road.
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Other Kia models on the list include the Kia Forte, Rio and Sportage 4-wheel-drive.
Thieves have gravitated towards older models of the vehicles, as many Hyundai and Kia vehicles lack standard electronic immobilizers like other brands possess, making them more vulnerable to theft and even vandalism.
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“We're also seeing a rise in vandalism claims for some of these via some Hyundai-Kia vehicles. And we assume what's occurring there is novice thieves believe they have identified a vehicle which has the vulnerability, they break a window, and find that they don't have the knowledge or the skills to take the vehicle. So they walk away from the theft but leave the vehicle in a damaged state,” said Moore.
The vehicles least likely to be stolen, according to this study, feature a variety of Tesla models.
“Presumably, they are plugged in at nighttime, and it's probably safe to assume that they are in a garage at nighttime or at least often parked in places that are well lit, possibly protected by security cameras,” said Moore.
Experts say it’s likely that if you have a vehicle that ranks highly on this list, you’re likely paying more for comprehensive coverage. To see the full list and study, visit HLDI's website.
