In the United States, 1,020,729 cars were stolen in 2023. That is an increase of 28.5% in four years. One way to look at the pace of theft of a given model is theft-vulnerability per 10,000 cars. By this yardstick, the most stolen car in America is the Hyundai Sonata at 157 per thousand.
24/7 Wall St. Key Points:
-
A recent analysis reveals the car models most likely to be stolen in America.
-
The theft rates from one manufacturer are particularly high.
-
Take this quiz to see if you’re on track to retire. (sponsored)
A new study looks at records of the 25 models that sell the most in the United States. These are measured by yearly theft figure, all-time sales volumes, theft rates, and odds a model will be stolen to determine a final figure. The Sonata’s theft rate is four times the average of all models.
The Sonata’s theft figure was 42,818 against an all-time U.S. sales volume of 2.7 million. Following the Sonata are the Hyundai Elantra at 153.9, the Kia Soul at 142.3, the Kia Sportage at 131.8, and the Kia Sportage at 124.2. No other car model had a rate above 50. The same South Korean manufacturer, Hyundai, makes all five of these vehicles. It owns 100% of that brand and a majority of Kia.
Kia and Hyundai theft rates are unusually high. Between the first half of 2020 and the first half of 2023, they rose over 1,000%. CNN reported on the high frequency of the thefts: “Many of these vehicles lack some of the basic auto theft prevention technology, such as electronic immobilizers, included in most other vehicles even in those years, according to the HLDI.” Put another way, they are easy to steal.
The theft problem with Hyundai and Kia products is so bad that, in 2023, the companies entered into a settlement with 9 million owners that totaled $200 million. These owners claimed that the companies did not make their cars “secure.” The companies also agreed to install better hardware and software to make them harder to steal.
Once Peaceful and Quiet, This City Has Seen Car Theft Jump 230%
Are You Still Paying With a Debit Card?
The average American spends $17,274 on debit cards a year, and it’s a HUGE mistake. First, debit cards don’t have the same fraud protections as credit cards. Once your money is gone, it’s gone. But more importantly you can actually get something back from this spending every time you swipe.
Issuers are handing out wild bonuses right now. With some you can earn up to 5% back on every purchase. That’s like getting a 5% discount on everything you buy!
Our top pick is kind of hard to imagine. Not only does it pay up to 5% back, it also includes a $200 cash back reward in the first six months, a 0% intro APR, and…. $0 annual fee. It’s quite literally free money for any one that uses a card regularly. Click here to learn more!
Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings to provide coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Our expert who first called NVIDIA in 2009 is predicting 2025 will see a historic AI breakthrough.
You can follow him investing $500,000 of his own money on our top AI stocks for free.