U.S. Vehicle Thefts Experience Historic Decline
Theft Levels Decline as Nationwide Prevention Efforts Yield Results
OAK BROOK, Ill., March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vehicle thefts across the United States declined in 2025 to the lowest levels in several decades, marking a 23% decrease from 2024, according to a new analysis of reported thefts from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the nation's leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to preventing and combating insurance crime.
A total of 659,880 vehicles were reported stolen nationwide last year, a historic low figure for U.S. vehicle thefts and a clear signal of the end of the pandemic-fueled surge in vehicle thefts. This past year's decline in vehicle thefts follows a significant 17% drop in vehicle thefts in 2024 – previously the largest decrease in thefts in 40 years.
While the national decline is encouraging, vehicle theft remains a significant crime affecting hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. Even as this historic milestone is reached, one vehicle is still stolen every 48 seconds. In some urban areas, the risk of theft is even greater.
"Coordinated prevention efforts by law enforcement, auto manufacturers, insurance companies, and the National Insurance Crime Bureau are having a major impact on vehicle thefts nationwide," said NICB President and CEO David J. Glawe. "But with several hundreds of thousands of vehicles stolen in a single year, vigilance and prevention efforts remain key to protecting families, businesses and communities nationwide."
In 2025, several states saw substantial year-over-year decreases in their vehicle theft numbers. Washington State experienced the largest percentage decrease of any state with 39% less vehicles stolen in 2025 compared to 2024. Colorado and Puerto Rico followed closely with 35% and 34% declines in vehicle thefts.
Top 10 States by Percentage Decrease in Vehicle Thefts
#
State
Percentage Change
1
Washington
-39 %
2
Colorado
-35 %
3
Puerto Rico
-34 %
4
South Dakota
-32 %
5
Tennessee
-31 %
6
New Mexico
-31 %
7
North Dakota
-30 %
8
Florida
-29 %
9
Georgia
-28 %
10
Arizona
-27 %
Even as the United States overall experiences a decline in thefts, the crime remains heavily concentrated in large metropolitan areas. More than one-third of all vehicle thefts occurred in the top 10 Census-defined statistical areas with the highest volumes of theft.
Top 10 Metropolitan Areas by Total Vehicle Thefts
#
CBSA (Metropolitan Areas)
2025 Total Thefts
1
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
53,911
2
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
27,138
3
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
24,299
4
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
23,659
5
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
22,197
6
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
21,638
7
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
19,117
8
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
15,204
9
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
14,111
10
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
12,684
California led the nation in vehicle theft rates among metropolitan areas. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro area (477.51 thefts per 100,000 people) and the Bakersfield-Delano area (477.27 thefts per 100,000 people) experienced the two highest theft rates of all metro areas with more than 1,000 thefts. These rates pushed the Memphis, Tennessee metro area – which previously suffered the worst vehicle theft rates – to third place at 427.75.
The Golden State also reported the highest number of vehicle thefts in 2025, with 136,988 vehicles stolen – contributing more than 20% of the nation's total. Following California, Texas, Illinois, Florida and New York rounded out the top five states by volume of vehicle thefts.
Top 10 States by Total Vehicle Thefts
#
State
2025 Total Thefts
1
California
136,988
2
Texas
75,269
3
Illinois
28,327
4
Florida
27,142
5
New York
24,206
6
Ohio
20,628
7
Pennsylvania
20,568
8
North Carolina
20,395
9
Washington
18,039
10
Missouri
17,496
The Hyundai Elantra remained the most stolen vehicle model in 2025, with 21,732 thefts reported nationwide, followed closely by the Honda Accord with 17,797 thefts.
Most Stolen Vehicles in 2025
#
Make/Model
2025 Theft Totals
1
Hyundai Elantra
21,732
2
Honda Accord
17,797
3
Hyundai Sonata
17,687
4
Chevrolet Silverado 1500
16,764
5
Honda Civic
12,725
6
Kia Optima
11,521
7
Ford F150
10,102
8
Toyota Camry
9,833
9
Honda CR-V
9,809
10
Nissan Altima
8,445
Thefts involving Hyundai and Kia vehicles have continued to decline for the third consecutive year. These manufacturers account for 14% of all vehicle thefts in 2025, down from 16% in 2024 and 21% in 2023. The downward trend involving these top-targeted vehicles reflects the impact of software updates and theft-prevention measures implemented in response to the theft trend.
Despite national progress, vehicle thefts still bring immense financial losses and personal disruption for victims.
To prevent vehicle thefts from occurring, NICB recommends the following tips for vehicle owners:
While in your vehicle:
When exiting your vehicle:
For an additional layer of security:
Vehicle theft may not be evenly distributed across the country, but as a crime of opportunity, no community or individual is immune.
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.
SOURCE National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)