MYNORTHWEST NEWS

WA car theft stats reveal a clear favorite among thieves

Jun 13, 2025, 5:24 AM | Updated: Sep 9, 2025, 3:35 pm

car theft WA stolen cars...

A photo of a broken passenger car window. (Photo by: Brandon Bell, Getty Images)

(Photo by: Brandon Bell, Getty Images)

A study from FinanceBuzz found which car models are the most susceptible to being stolen in each state.

The most stolen car model in the U.S. last year was the Hyundai Elantra, which had 31,712 reported thefts, according to FinanceBuzz.

A trend on TikTok in 2022 challenged thieves to steal a variety of Kia and Hyundai models made between 2010 and 2021. The trend, derived from the hashtag “Kia Boyz,” involved thieves using a USB cord to hot-wire vehicles.

“With more than 31,000 stolen in the U.S. in 2024, the Hyundai Elantra was the most stolen model in the U.S. last year, and the No. 1 car stolen in 21 states,” FinanceBuzz stated.

The most stolen car model in the U.S.

More than 850,000 cars were stolen in 2024, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which translates to one car being stolen every 37 seconds in the U.S.

The most stolen car model in Washington for 2024 was the Hyundai Elantra, with 1,379 vehicles reported.

Oregon reportedly had 435 Honda Civics stolen, making it their most common vehicle stolen in 2024, while Idaho had a measly 37 Ford F-150s stolen, making it their most common stolen car model.

The states with the highest number of stolen cars per model in 2024 were Texas, California, and Maryland.

Texas had 6,453 Chevrolet Silverados stolen; similarly, California’s No.1 vehicle model stolen was the Chevrolet Silverado, with 6,248 stolen vehicles. Maryland had 1,966 Hyundai Elantras stolen in 2024.

Hyundai landed in the top three nationally again with 26,720 thefts of their Sonata model in 2024.

The Chevrolet Silverado 150 was the third-most stolen car model in the U.S., with 21,666.

Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here

MyNorthwest News

Police are searching for a suspect in a deadly shooting in Des Moines, Washington early Sunday morn...

Tom Brock

Des Moines police searching for murder suspect in early morning shooting

Police are looking for a suspect who shot and killed a man in downtown Des Moines early Sunday morning.

31 minutes ago

A hiker missing on the Sauk Mountain trail in Skagit County has been found deceased. (Photo: Getty ...

Tom Brock

Missing hiker found dead on Sauk Mountain trail

A hiker missing on Skagit County's Sauk Mountain trail has been found dead.

1 hour ago

ml king shooting...

Tom Brock

Shots fired, vehicle crashed: 2 dead in south Seattle

Two people are dead following a shooting and car crash in south Seattle early Saturday morning.

24 hours ago

Homeless veterans...

Frank Lenzi

Washington gets $45M in VA grants to fight veteran homelessness

More than $45 million in federal funding is headed to Washington state to help homeless veterans and veterans at risk of losing their homes. The Department of Veterans Affairs said it has awarded grants to 17 community organizations across Washington for Fiscal Year 2027 as part of a record-setting national investment. “This funding is part […]

1 day ago

9th ave...

Chris Sullivan

SDOT plans to paint over Convention Center street art that won’t come off 9th Ave.

SDOT, which granted the Seattle Convention Center the permit to paint 9th Ave., now has a plan to fix the problem.

2 days ago

Oreogate...

Katrina Guischard

‘Oreogate’ has parents picking sides over a kindergartner’s lunchbox

A chocolate sandwich cookie has become the center of a viral parenting showdown, real or not, dubbed "Oreogate."

2 days ago

WA car theft stats reveal a clear favorite among thieves