These 10 vehicles are stolen the most in CA, report says. Is yours on the list?
Had your car stolen in California? Welcome to the club that’s probably one of the worst — and one of the most common — to belong to in the Golden State.
While vehicle thefts have declined nationwide, California is still first in the nation for car thefts by total volume, according to new data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, or NICB, which works to reduce insurance fraud and crime.
Vehicle thefts in California peaked at an all-time high of 210,237 in 2023, at the same time the rest of the country was also experiencing a surge in vehicle thefts driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NICB reports.
The U.S. is now seeing a decline in vehicle thefts, including in California, where thefts have decreased 14% year-over-year, according to the bureau’s report.
But the state was the top spot for vehicle thefts by volume in 2024, and “ranked second by vehicle theft rate per 100,000 residents, first among U.S. states and bested only by Washington D.C.,” NICB spokesperson Nicholas Zeitlinger told the Sacramento Bee in an email.
“California has experienced the highest total vehicle thefts of any U.S. state, largely fueled by its high population and high density of urban areas,” Zeitlinger said. “Notably, the California metro areas surrounding Los Angeles, San Francisco and Riverside have consistently been represented on our top 10 list of Census Areas with the highest total volume of vehicle thefts. Los Angeles and San Francisco also make the list of top 10 vehicle theft rates per 100,000 residents each year.”
So which types of cars are most at risk in California and the U.S.?
What are the most commonly stolen cars in California?
These were the 10 most stolen vehicles in California in 2024, according to NICB:
1. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (6,248 thefts)
2. Hyundai Sonata (5,865 thefts)
3. Honda Civic (5,804 thefts)
4. Hyundai Elantra (5,618 thefts)
5. Honda Accord (5,414 thefts)
6. Kia Optima (4,685 thefts)
7. Toyota Camry (2,906 thefts)
8. Kia Soul (2,810 thefts)
9. Chevrolet Camaro (2,648 thefts)
10. Toyota Tacoma (2,578 thefts)
These were the 10 most stolen vehicles in California in the first half of 2025, according to NICB:
1. Honda Accord (2,582 thefts)
2. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (2,322 thefts)
3. Honda Civic (2,242 thefts)
4. Hyundai Elantra (1,929 thefts)
5. Hyundai Sonata (1,835 thefts)
6. Kia Optima (1,505 thefts)
7. Toyota Tacoma (1,220 thefts)
8. Toyota Camry (1,165 thefts)
9. Honda Cr-V (984 thefts)
10. Kia Soul (920 thefts)
What are the most commonly stolen cars in the U.S.?
These were the 10 most stolen vehicles in the U.S. in the first and second quarters of 2025, according to NICB:
1. Hyundai Elantra (11,329 reported thefts)
2. Hyundai Sonata (9,154 reported thefts)
3. Honda Accord (8,531 reported thefts)
4. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (8,006 reported thefts)
5. Honda Civic (6,396 reported thefts)
6. Kia Optima (6,011 reported thefts)
7. Ford F150 (4,996 reported thefts)
8. Toyota Camry (4,986 reported thefts)
9. Honda CR-V (4,889 reported thefts)
10. Kia Soul (4,380 reported thefts)
How to protect your car from getting stolen
Car theft rates are steadily dropping in the U.S., though not yet back to pre-surge levels, according to the NICB.
“In the first half of 2025, California continued to experience a decline, following a nationwide trend back towards pre-pandemic theft figures,” Zeitlinger said. “While still ranking first on the list of states with the most stolen vehicles, California realized a 26% decrease in thefts when comparing the first half of 2025 to the first half of 2024.”
To keep your car from being stolen, NICB recommends:
- Parking in areas that are lit well.
- Roll your windows up before you leave your car.
- Lock the doors.
- Don’t leave your car or truck running when you’re not in it.
- Don’t leave your keys inside the car.
- Consider getting an audible alarm, a steering wheel lock or other anti-theft technology.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also shared tips for keeping your car safe from theft.
Here’s what the agency says you should do if your vehicle is stolen:
- Contact law enforcement and file a report.
- Contact your car insurance company and file a claim.
- Contact law enforcement and your insurance company right away if you find your car before police do.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "These 10 vehicles are stolen the most in CA, report says. Is yours on the list?."
