The Honda CR-V retained its dubious honour as Canada’s most stolen vehicle for the second consecutive year, as per Équité Association’s latest report.
This year’s announcement by the auto insurance fraud prevention organization offers more insights than before.
Alongside a rundown of the most frequently stolen cars, it now features theft frequency figures, regional breakdowns, and even a compilation of the least pilfered vehicles.
In terms of monetary losses due to auto theft, 2022 proved to be the costliest year yet, tallying a staggering $1.2 billion within the insurance industry.
Bryan Gast, the Vice President of Investigative Services at Équité, emphasized the necessity for diligence to avert a recurrence of such figures, cautioning, “The first half of 2023 was trending higher than 2022. We’re not out of the woods yet.”
The specifics remain startling.
The Honda CR-V, with 5,620 thefts in 2022 and a theft frequency rate of 1.2% among 469,144 insured CR-Vs nationwide, stands atop the list.
Remarkably, the 2020 model year faces the highest risk of theft.
Following closely is the Dodge RAM 1500 Series, particularly the 2022 model, experiencing a 0.5% theft rate, translating to 2,600 stolen vehicles among 508,061 cars insured nationwide.
The Ford F150 Series claims the third spot, especially the 2020 model, with an overall theft rate of 0.3% accounting for 1,833 stolen vehicles amid 615,740 insured nationally.
Beyond these top three, the list of most stolen cars in Canada includes the Lexus RX Series (2020), Toyota Highlander (2021), Honda Civic (2019), Jeep Grand Cherokee (2021), Land Rover Range Rover (2020), Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierra 1500 Series (2006), and Jeep Wrangler (2021).
Notably, trucks and SUVs make up nine out of the top ten stolen cars.
Gast emphasized the trend of theft targeting higher-end and newer model vehicles, primarily those equipped with push-to-start technology. The exception here being the much older model of the Chevy pickup truck.
The motive behind car thefts varies across regions.
In Alberta and western Canada, stolen cars often serve purposes such as re-vinning for resale or dismantling in chop shops to sell parts, funding other criminal activities.
For individuals seeking vehicles with a lower risk of theft, Équité’s new list, the Top 10 Least Stolen Vehicles of 2022, might offer some guidance.
The Chevrolet Volt emerges as Canada’s least stolen vehicle, with just one recorded theft despite 16,471 insured vehicles on the road, equating to a mere 0.006% theft frequency rate.
Following closely is the Kia Niro 5DR, stolen three times among 11,276 cars, resulting in a theft rate of 0.027%.
The third spot is claimed by the Cadillac XT5, witnessing four thefts in 2022 among 21,268 insured SUVs nationally, with a theft rate of 0.019%.
Completing the roster of least stolen vehicles are the Buick Envision, Mini Cooper Countryman, Volvo XC90, Volkswagen Beetle, Chevrolet Corvette, Hyundai Ioniq, and Mazda Mazda2, each with notably low theft occurrences and corresponding frequency rates.
The report provided a more specific breakdown for several provinces, however, there were none provided specifically for BC.
Auto thefts skyrocketed in 2022, hitting historic highs. Ontario witnessed a staggering 48% increase, while Quebec saw a notable surge of 50%.
This surge has drawn international attention to Canada as a significant source country for illegal trade.
Do you own one of the above mentioned cars? Let us know in the comment section below!
