(NEXSTAR) – After years of spiking vehicle thefts, the tides have turned. The number of stolen cars reported in 2024 was down substantially, breaking the pattern of year-after-year increases set off in 2020.
About 850,700 vehicles were stolen in the U.S. last year, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). That’s down from more than 1 million stolen vehicles in 2023. In Wisconsin, 8,661 vehicle thefts occurred in 2024 which is an 8% decrease from the 9,449 thefts recorded throughout the state in 2023.
Despite the trend, some vehicles are still being targeted fairly often by thieves. The NICB reports two Hyundai models – the Elantra and Sonata – were still the most targeted vehicles for theft last year, as they were in 2023.
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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 gotten 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.
The most commonly stolen vehicles throughout Wisconsin in 2024, according to the NICB, were:
| Rank | Make/Model | No. of thefts in 2024 |
| 1. | Hyundai Elantra | 515 |
| 2. | Hyundai Sonata | 332 |
| 3. | Honda Civic | 179 |
| 4. | Kia Sportage | 166 |
| 5. | Kia Soul | 165 |
| 6. | Honda Accord | 163 |
| 7. | Honda CR-V | 162 |
| 8. | Hyundai Tucson | 144 |
| 9. | Kia Optima | 141 |
| 10. | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 140 |
It’s not just what you drive, but also where you live that affects how likely you are to be targeted by car thieves. Washington, D.C., California, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada have the highest vehicle theft rates.
