(NEXSTAR) – More than 700,000 vehicles are stolen in any given year, but not all cars are equal targets.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) analyzed federal crime data to determine which cars and trucks were most frequently reported stolen in 2022. They found two pickups took the top spots nationwide.
The most frequently stolen vehicle was the full-size Chevrolet pickup truck, followed by full-size Ford pickups, according to the NICB analysis.
It’s no surprise thieves target Chevy and Ford pickups – they are abundant. The Ford F-Series and the Chevy Silverado were the two top-selling vehicles last year, according to Car and Driver.
Two popular Honda sedan models took the No. 3 and 4 spots on the list of most-stolen vehicles.
The most frequently stolen vehicles in 2022, according to the NICB, were:
- Chevrolet pickup (full size)
- Ford pickup (full size)
- Honda Civic
- Honda Accord
- Hyundai Sonata
- Hyundai Elantra
- Kia Optima
- Toyota Camry
- GMC pickup (full size)
- Honda CR-V
In Illinois, thieves decided to target Hyundais and Kias more than any other brand of vehicle. In fact, nearly 1,900 Hyundai Elantras were stolen last year in Illinois.
According to NICB data, these were the most frequently stolen vehicles in the state:
| Rank | Vehicle | Most Frequent Vehicle Year(s) Stolen | Thefts |
| 1 | Hyundai Elantra | 2020 | 1,852 |
| 2 | Hyundai Sonata | 2015 | 1,624 |
| 3 | Kia Motors Corporation Optima | 2018 | 1,397 |
| 4 | Kia Motors Corporation Sportage | 2020 | 1,159 |
| 5 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 2014 | 1,050 |
| 6 | Kia Motors Corporation Forte | 2021 | 767 |
| 7 | Hyundai Tucson | 2017 | 755 |
| 8 | Dodge Charger | 2016 | 708 |
| 9 | Toyota Camry | 2021 | 673 |
| 10 | Chevrolet Malibu | 2016 | 643 |
In 2022, reports of vehicle thefts rose 7% over the previous year, the NICB said.
“Approximately one motor vehicle is stolen every 32 seconds, which adds up to more than one million vehicles stolen last year,” said NICB President and CEO David J. Glawe.
The FBI reported an estimated $6.4 billion was lost to vehicle theft in 2019, the last year of available data.
“There are some commonsense steps to keep cars from being stolen. First, remove valuables from the vehicle or lock them out of sight. Next, lock the doors, roll the windows all the way up, and don’t leave your keys or key fob in the car,” Glawe said.
