Car Theft Takes A Tumble: Here's Why

Issue #219

​Today, we discuss car theft in the US and how its behavior is surprising everyone, except in one city, thanks to a nationwide drop.

Or, you can continue to read by scrolling down.

Market News

• Jeep will build an electric car in China. Here’s why you should care, and why you shouldn’t.

• The Neue Klasse saved BMW once. The German automaker hopes for a repeat, copying some cost-cutting tactics from China, as you can read here.

• After the IHRA’s financial collapse, twelve drag strips are up for auction. Here’s how to bid for them.

• Here’s how Porsche plans to survive: massive cars with massive engines. Will it work?

• Ford faces a class action lawsuit over diesel fuel pumps and expensive repairs. Here’s more.

Safety and Recalls

• Mercedes recalls more than 30,000 S-Class models because they have faulty brake lines. Here’s more.

• Ram recalls more than 65,000 trucks because the instrument cluster is failing. Here’s what you need to know.

Car Culture

• Citroën unveiled the new 2CV concept, and it’s so cheerful, it can cure depression (not actual medical advice). Check it out here.

• We love this 1969 Ford Bronco restomod, and you will too.

• Honda promises more fun, an exhilarating drive, and a new AWD system. Will it deliver? Here’s more.

• Is the electric Mercedes G-Class any good? This article tries to answer the $160,000 question.

• Ford canceled the F-150 Lightning. Now, people are desperate to buy them. Here’s why.

Video Of The Week

Should you buy a cheap old Bentley? That’s how this video starts, and the answer is surprising.

In The Know

Car Theft Takes A Tumble, Except In One City

In 2020, car theft sharply increased. Some cities reported mind-boggling figures, honestly, with Minneapolis reporting a 537% increase in car theft by the end of 2020. You can read here about the multiple factors at play.

Limited police capacity to respond, restrictions, masks covering thieves’ faces (ironically), and desperation for money were just some of the reasons driving up car theft.

After the world reopened its doors, car theft decreased marginally, then it spiked around 2022, with two brands driving up crime rates: Kia and Hyundai. The “Kia Boyz” viralized car theft so much that if you had any model from these brands, you were basically a target, as reported here.

Now, the trend continues to drop, but not slightly. Car theft has sharply dropped. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported 21% fewer incidents of car theft in 2026 than in 2025. You can read more about this significant drop here, and it’s important to note that this includes only car theft. VIN cloning and title fraud are not included.

The drop was consistent across all 50 states, with the District of Columbia leading the way. DC saw car theft reduced by half. Tennessee reduced it by 42% and Vermont by 37%. You can read about how the other states behaved, including yours, here.

However, one city was not as fortunate. While the country saw fewer car thefts, Chicago's increased by 2%. That’s not a lot, but it puts the city in a tough spot as the only one with an increase.  

It’s hard to pinpoint a specific reason for this reduction, although several results are evident, such as Colorado's. You can read here how the state implemented harsher penalties, preventive measures, and education.

Overall, the car theft situation in America is improving, and it could become even less frequent as vehicles become more technologically advanced. At FWT, we’re not fans of how vehicles are turning into basically rolling computers. Yet, this complexity could deter car thieves in the near future, as this article explains.

However, we must not undermine criminal creativity.

In fact, one aspect of car theft has increased: rental car theft, but not for local use. As this article explains, Mexican cartels are stealing trucks and luxury SUVs to turn them into armored trucks. Yup.

The NICB has yet to disclose the most stolen cars in 2026. However, we can use last year’s findings as a reference. We’ll definitely revisit this as soon as the latest list comes out.

As this article highlights, the most stolen car in the US is the Hyundai Elantra, and the most stolen truck is the Chevrolet Silverado 1500.

For now, it’s all about taking appropriate measures to prevent car theft, because you can never be too careful.