Car Thefts Dropped 23 Percent with Hyundai Elantra Most Stolen

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), which reports the numbers annually, noted the 2025 results followed a 17-percent decline in 2024, which had been the largest year-over-year decline in 40 years. The nonprofit said a multipronged effort to reduce thefts is having an impact, although quickly noted a vehicle is still stolen every 48 seconds in the U.S.

“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.”

It wasn’t long ago that stories about a group of teenagers dubbed the Kia Boys filmed themselves stealing Kia and Hyundai vehicles using a USB plug and then joy riding in their ill-gotten gain dominated the news. Hyundai and Kia moved to make their vehicles more difficult steal in response.

Hyundai and Kia thefts have fallen for three straight years. These companies accounted for 14 percent of all vehicle thefts in 2025, down from 16 percent in 2024 and 21 percent 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, the NICB noted.

Despite these efforts, the Elantra tops the most-stolen list, and the Hyundai Sonata is third with the Kia Optima sixth. For years though, it was the Accord that was top target of thieves, who looked to resell the parts illegally because the Accord was the top-selling sedan for a long time. Three Hondas finished in the top 10: Accord, Civic, and CR-V.

Not surprisingly, the remaining spots on the top 10 list are occupied some of the bestselling vehicles in the country: Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (fourth), Ford F-150 (seventh), Toyota Camry (ninth), and Nissan Altima (10th).

More vehicles were stolen in California than anywhere else and by a substantial margin. Thieves struck 136,988 times last year in the Golden State. Texas was second at 75,269 and Illinois was third at 28,327.

On a more positive note, seven states saw car thefts decline 30 percent or more, with Washington leading the way with a 39 percent decline, followed by Colorado at 35 percent and South Dakota at 32 percent. To keep the trend moving in that direction, the NICB suggests vehicles parking in well-lit areas, rolling up windows, locking doors, never leaving a vehicle running unattended, always taking the vehicle’s keys, and adding anti-theft technology.

[Images: NICB, Hyundai, Honda]

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