Illinois’ Most Frequently Stolen Cars: Here’s The Top Ten List

Most of us will never have a car stolen, but that certainly doesn't mean it's not happening everywhere in the nation, including right here in Illinois.

Just in case you might have been thinking that car thieves are a dying breed, and that you have a greater chance of having your catalytic converter stolen than your vehicle, this is a quick reminder that car theft is still very much a thing.

As someone who once had their car stolen (it was swiped here in Rockford and then taken to Texas on a failed drug run where it was eventually found on the bottom of a lake), I can tell you that it wasn't the worst thing that ever happened to me, but the whole experience sucked.

Might have been my fault for driving a 1986 fire-engine red Pontiac Trans Am that basically begged you to break speed limits and apparently worked just fine for hauling cocaine across the country. I'm not here to victim-blame myself.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Says That In 2024, Reports Of Vehicle Thefts Were Finally Down After Going Up Every Year Since The Pandemic Began In 2020

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) also points out that a car or truck is stolen in this country every 37 seconds, which in doing some math, equals out to over 1 million vehicles getting boosted every year.

The FBI's data from 2023 (the latest year available for statistics) says that vehicle theft losses added up to over $8 billion. When you compare vehicle theft stats with catalytic converter thefts, it's not even close. Estimates of 153,000 catalytic converter thefts in 2022 did fall in 2023 by 43 percent to around 66,000.

Here Are The Most Stolen Vehicles In Illinois And Across The United States, According To The NICB

You may notice that several of the most-stolen vehicles had troubles in recent years with widespread theft, due in particular to a security flaw that was trumpeted loudly on social media.

Thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars skyrocketed in 2020, when videos showing how to take advantage of the cars’ vulnerabilities and steal them started spreading on TikTok. Thieves realized the cars didn’t have engine immobilizers, a standard piece of anti-theft tech.

But things have getting better for owners of these affected models, too. The automakers have been offering anti-theft software upgrades to vehicle owners, and the number of Hyundais and Kias stolen in 2024 dropped nationwide.

Here's the top ten most stolen vehicles in 2024 (NICB):