On November 14, The auto insurance fraud prevention organization released a new list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada.
The organization also released the regional breakdowns for Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces, showing the top 10 most stolen vehicles in each area for 2022.
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Car Thefts Hit Record High in 2022
2022 was a big year for car thieves. In Ontario, car thefts went up by 48%, and in Quebec, they increased by 50%. The numbers have put Canada in the spotlight as a “source country for illegal trade,” the organization said in a news release.
“Vehicles are being stolen by both domestic and international criminal organizations, with proceeds funding domestic drug trafficking, and international terrorism,”
Organization
Auto insurance companies in Canada had to pay out a record $1.2 billion for car thefts in 2022. This means Canadians are spending more on their car insurance during a time when money is already tight because of inflation.
Pearson Airport is now known for a lot of car thefts. This year, 410 cars have been stolen there, which means more than one car is stolen each day on average, says the Peel Regional Police.
How Your Car Affects Your Insurance
In Canada, what you pay for car insurance depends on what model of the car you have and how often that car gets into accidents or gets stolen, especially in your area.
Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Canada in 2022
Here’s the list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada in 2022:
Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Ontario
Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Quebec
Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Alberta
Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Atlantic Canada
Least Stolen Cars In Canada
If you want a car that’s less likely to get stolen, you might want to check out Équité’s list of the Top 10 Least Stolen Vehicles of 2022.
At the very top of the list is the Chevrolet Volt, which is the car that’s stolen the least in Canada. There was only one reported theft of a Chevrolet Volt last year, even though there were 16,471 of them on the road. That means the chance of it getting stolen is really low, just 0.006%.
Next on the list is the Kia Niro 5DR. It got stolen three times last year out of 11,276 cars, making its theft rate 0.027%.
In third place, we have the Cadillac XT5, which was stolen four times in 2022. There are 21,268 of these SUVs in Canada, so its theft rate is 0.019%.
Here are the rest of the cars on the list:
- Buick Envision: 4 thefts (0.028%)
- Mini Cooper Countryman: 4 thefts (0.030%)
- Volvo XC90: 5 thefts (0.031%)
- Volkswagen Beetle: 6 thefts (0.040%)
- Chevrolet Corvette: 6 thefts (0.051%)
- Hyundai Ioniq: 7 thefts (0.058%)
- Mazda Mazda2: 8 thefts (0.059%)
So, if you’re worried about your car getting stolen, these cars are some of the safest bets out there.
Efforts For Auto Theft Reduction
The car industry is trying to stop car theft by encouraging people to use tracking devices or charging extra for theft-prone vehicles. But it’s not just about that; car makers, government, and drivers all have a role to play in preventing theft.
Standards for immobilizers, i.e., the devices that prevents a car’s engine from being started unless the correct key is present, haven’t been updated for decades,
Bryan Gast, vice president, Investigative Services at Équité told Canadian Underwriter.
When a car gets stolen, it’s not just the car itself that’s at risk. Your personal belongings and important information can also be in danger. So, drivers need to be careful about protecting their data while they’re driving.
“There are some techniques that criminals are using where they can steal a vehicle in 15 seconds,” he says. “An individual shouldn’t spend $90,000 on a brand-new vehicle and then still have to rely on the insurance industry, or their own pay out of their own pocket to add certain features like an aftermarket immobilizer to protect the vehicle from being stolen.
“It starts with the manufacturers making the vehicles harder to steal in the first place.”
Bryan Gast, vice president, Investigative Services at Équité told Canadian Underwriter.
What is the list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada in 2022?
The top 10 most stolen vehicles in Canada in 2022 are:
- Honda CR-V (2020): 5,620 thefts
- Dodge RAM 1500 Series (2022): 2,600 thefts
- Ford F150 Series (2020): 1,833 thefts
- Lexus RX Series (2020): 1,815 thefts
- Toyota Highlander (2021): 1,759 thefts
- Honda Civic (2019): 1,493 thefts
- Jeep Grand Cherokee (2021): 1,349 thefts
- Land Rover Range Rover (2020): 1,343 thefts
- Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierra 1500 Series (2006): 1,260 thefts
- Jeep Wrangler (2021): 1,189 thefts
Which Canadian province had the highest increase in auto thefts in 2022?
Ontario had the highest increase in auto thefts in 2022, with a 48% increase, followed by Quebec with a 50% increase. This increase has put Canada at the forefront internationally as a source country for illegal commerce.
