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Dodge muscle cars once again top HLDI’s list of most-stolen vehicles

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Two Dodge muscle cars, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and Dodge Charger HEMI, once again top the Highway Loss Data Institute’s list of the most-stolen vehicles for model years 2020-22. Meanwhile, a viral trend targeting Hyundai-Kia vehicles propelled four Kia models into the top 20. 

Theft claims for the Charger SRT Hellcat were more than 60 times more frequent than the average for all 2020-22 models, relative to their numbers on the road, while theft claims for the Charger HEMI were more than 20 times higher than average, HLDI’s latest whole-vehicle theft report shows.  

Charger and Challenger models with large, powerful engines have featured among the top five most-stolen vehicles since model year 2011, but the frequency of claims has increased at a stunning rate. For 2020-22 Charger SRT Hellcat models, there were 25 whole-vehicle theft claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years, up from about 18 for 2019-21 models. For comparison, the most-stolen 2017-19 model, the Infiniti Q60, had only 2 thefts per 1,000 insured vehicle years.  

“If you own a Hellcat, you better check your driveway,” said HLDI Senior Vice President Matt Moore. “These numbers are unbelievable.”  

Other frequently stolen 2020-22 models included luxury vehicles made by BMW, Infiniti and Land Rover and three large pickups with powerful engines. Relatively inexpensive models from Honda, Kia and Nissan round out the list. Thefts of Hyundai and Kia vehicles soared in recent years after thieves discovered that many of them lacked electronic immobilizers.    

Six of the 20 models with the fewest claims for whole vehicle theft are electric vehicles, and six others are manufactured by General Motors. Typically, electric vehicles are stolen less frequently than other models. This may be because they are often parked overnight in well-lit and comparatively secure areas for charging.  

Several high-end Volvo models also rank among the least-often stolen 2020-22 models, while two variants of the Infiniti Q50 appear among the most-stolen vehicles. The Q50 has been a perennial feature on the most-stolen vehicle list since model year 2014 for reasons that remain a mystery. 

By looking at claims per insured vehicle year, HLDI’s theft reports allow people to compare the relative risk of each vehicle. In contrast, other most-stolen-vehicle lists report raw numbers of thefts and are therefore dominated by the most common vehicles on the road. 

HLDI’s whole-vehicle theft report differs from its standard theft report, which looks at all theft claims, including those for stolen vehicle parts or for items taken from a vehicle. 

To isolate whole-vehicle claims, HLDI compared the amounts paid for total losses under collision coverage, which is generally the residual value of the vehicle, to payments associated with each theft claim. Theft claims were considered to represent whole-vehicle thefts when the amount was around the same as what would be expected for a total loss under collision coverage for the same vehicle of the same age. 

As with all HLDI analyses, the results in the whole-vehicle theft report are adjusted to account for the effect of demographic and geographic factors. 

Vehicles with the HIGHEST CLAIM FREQUENCY for whole-vehicle theft, 2020-22 model years 

  Size/type  Relative claim frequency 

(100 = average) 
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat  Large car  6,128 
Dodge Charger HEMI  Large car  2,197 
Infiniti Q50   Midsize luxury car  878 
Dodge Challenger  Large car  766 
Land Rover Range Rover 4WD  Large luxury SUV  611 
Kia Sportage  Small SUV  479 
Land Rover Range Rover Sport 4WD  Large luxury SUV  460 
Kia Sportage 4WD  Small SUV  415 
Honda CR-V 4WD  Small SUV  409 
BMW X6 4WD  Midsize luxury SUV  361 
Kia Rio  Minicar  359 
Kia Forte  Small car  357 
Ford F-350 SuperCrew 4WD  Very large pickup  349 
BMW X7 4WD  Large luxury SUV  338 
Ford F-250 SuperCrew 4WD  Very large pickup  337 
Honda Accord  Midsize car  306 
Ram 3500 crew cab long-wheelbase 4WD  Very large pickup  306 
Infiniti Q50 4WD  Midsize luxury car  287 
Nissan Maxima  Midsize car  284 
Honda CR-V  Small SUV  270 

Vehicles with the LOWEST CLAIM FREQUENCY for whole-vehicle theft, 2020-22 model years 

  Size/type  Relative claim frequency 

(100 = average) 
Tesla Model 3 4WD  Midsize luxury car (electric) 
Tesla Model Y 4WD  Midsize luxury SUV (electric) 
Volvo XC90 4WD  Midsize luxury SUV 
GMC Acadia 4WD  Midsize SUV 
Tesla Model X 4WD  Large luxury SUV (electric) 
Volvo XC40 4WD  Small luxury SUV 
Tesla Model 3  Midsize luxury car (electric) 
Chevrolet Trailblazer 4WD  Small SUV  10 
Lexus UX 250 hybrid 4WD  Small luxury SUV  10 
Volvo XC60 4WD  Midsize luxury SUV  10 
Buick Envision 4WD  Midsize luxury SUV  11 
Cadillac XT5  Midsize luxury SUV  11 
Chevrolet Traverse 4WD  Midsize SUV  12 
Land Rover Defender 4WD  Midsize luxury SUV  13 
Buick Encore GX 4WD  Small luxury SUV  14 
Nissan Leaf  Small car (electric)  14 
Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class  Midsize luxury SUV  15 
Subaru Ascent 4WD   Midsize SUV  15 
Tesla Model S 4WD  Large luxury car (electric)  15 
Volvo XC60  Midsize luxury SUV  15 

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Interviews available. Contact Joe Young, jyoung@iihs.org

Video News Release:

Thu. 8/31/2023, 10:30-11 a.m. ET; repeat 1:30-2 p.m. ET (KU) SES 01 
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For more information, go to iihs.org 
The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), is a nonprofit research organization that publishes insurance loss statistics on most car, SUV, pickup truck and motorcycle models on U.S. and Canadian roads. HLDI is wholly supported by auto insurers. 

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Joe Young
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
504-641-0491
jyoung@iihs.org
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