Mapped: The Most Stolen Car in Every U.S. State

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Mapped: The Most Stolen Car in Every U.S. State

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Key Takeaways

• The Hyundai Elantra is the most stolen car in 20 different states, making it the worst model victim in 2024
• Elantras produced between 2011 and 2021 lacked electronic engine immobilizers, a standard anti-theft feature found in most modern cars

Car theft is a widespread issue, driven by factors like demand for parts and organized criminal activity.

In 2024, over 850,000 vehicles were stolen across the U.S., averaging one every 37 seconds. To see which cars are being targeted the most, we’ve visualized the most stolen car model in every state.

Data & Discussion

The data for this visualization comes from FinanceBuzz, which reviewed 2024 auto-theft insurance claims filed with the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

Hyundai and Kia’s Missing Security Feature

The most common model in this dataset is the Hyundai Elantra, which was the most stolen car in 20 different states. The Hyundai Sonata (Kentucky) and Kia Soul (Hawaii) also made an appearance.

A major reason for this trend is that many Hyundai and Kia models produced between 2011 and 2021 lack electronic engine immobilizers—basic anti-theft tech now standard in most vehicles.

This omission made it easier for thieves to exploit vulnerabilities, especially after viral social media videos demonstrated how to steal these cars using simple tools.

Pickup Popularity in the Heartland

Full-size pickups remain prime targets in rural and border states.

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 leads theft tallies in Texas, California, and seven additional states, while Ford’s F-150 heads the list in six others. Both models are some of the most popular vehicles sold in the country, so it makes sense they’re also frequently stolen.

High resale demand for parts, coupled with interchangeable components across model years, keeps older trucks attractive to thieves—even as new anti-theft tech rolls out.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

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