TAMPA, Fla. (Nexstar) – The tide has changed after years of surges in vehicle theft. The number of stolen cars reported in 2024 fell sharply, breaking the pattern of previous year’s increase that began in 2020.
According to the National Insurance Crimes Bureau (NICB), approximately 850,700 vehicles were stolen in the United States last year. This is down from over one million stolen vehicles in 2023.
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Despite the trend, some vehicles are still targeted fairly frequently by burglars. The NICB reports that two Hyundai models, namely Elantra and Sonata, were the most targeted vehicles of theft last year, like in 2023.
Thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles skyrocketed in 2020. In 2020, videos began to spread across Tiktok showing how to exploit and steal a car vulnerability. The thief noticed that the car had no engine immobilizers. This is a standard part of anti-theft technology.
But things are getting better for owners of these affected models as well. The automaker has provided vehicle owners with anti-theft software upgrades, and the number of stolen Hunda and Kiass stolen in 2024 has been removed nationwide.
As for Florida, Sunshine State saw the third-lowest vehicle theft in the nation in 2024.
Florida’s most stolen car model was a modern-day Elantra with 1,074 people stolen. The Hyundai Sonata was second behind in 1,067 thefts, but the Honda Accord was about 845 after that.
According to the NICB, here is the complete list of the most common cars stolen in Florida in 2024:
According to the NICB, the most commonly stolen vehicles in 2024 are:
It’s not just what you drive, but also where you live that affects the likelihood you’ll be targeted by car thieves. Theft rates are highest in Washington, DC, California, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada.
