If you drive a gas-powered vehicle that has some muscle, you might want to invest in some extra security. Recent research from the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) shows that high-performance muscle cars are stolen at a staggering rate.
The HLDI study analyzed whole-vehicle thefts by comparing the amounts of theft claims with what insurers pay for the same vehicles in total loss payouts.
What’s clear from the most recent research is that thieves love horsepower and hate having to plug things in. The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is America’s most-stolen car, with a theft rate that’s 39 times that of the average vehicle.
“Muscle cars have often topped this list, as thieves are attracted to vehicles with high horsepower,” said Matt Moore, chief insurance operations officer at HLDI and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Meanwhile, hybrid and electric vehicles are far less likely to be attractive or accessible to thieves.
The Camaro ZL1 isn’t the only model in its family that thieves target. The regular Camaro also made the top three most-stolen vehicles, getting swiped nearly 13 times more often than average.
HLDI says the vulnerability of Camaros may be linked to a security flaw, which involves the ability of thieves to clone key fobs and affects 2016 and newer models with keyless start systems. General Motors rolled out a software fix in March.
Here are the 2022-2024 vehicles with their relative claim frequencies for whole-vehicle theft, compared to the average of 100, according to HLDI:
- Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 (large sports car): 3,949
- Acura TLX 4WD (large luxury car): 2,138
- Chevrolet Camaro (large sports car): 1,287
- GMC Sierra 2500 crew cab 4WD (very large pickup): 1,023
- Acura TLX 2WD (large luxury car): 805
- GMC Sierra 3500 crew cab 4WD (very large pickup): 742
- Chevrolet Silverado 3500 crew cab 4WD (very large pickup): 662
- Dodge Durango 4WD (large SUV): 592
- Land Rover Range Rover 4WD (large luxury SUV): 540
- Ram 1500 crew cab short-wheelbase 4WD (large pickup): 524
- Chevrolet Silverado 2500 crew cab 4WD (very large pickup): 402
- Ram 3500 crew cab long-wheelbase 4WD (very large pickup): 387
- Honda CR-V hybrid 4WD (small SUV): 340
- GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab 2WD (large pickup): 324
- Dodge Durango 2WD (large SUV): 300
- GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab 4WD (large pickup): 292
- BMW X7 4WD (large luxury SUV): 277
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class long-wheelbase 4WD (very large luxury car): 267
- Jeep Gladiator crew cab convertible 4WD (small pickup): 264
- Cadillac Escalade ESV 4WD (large luxury SUV): 260
On the flip side, if you’re driving electric, you can probably sleep a little easier. Following are the 2022-2024 models with lowest rates for theft claims, ranked from lowest to highest relative claim frequency:
- Tesla Model 3 4WD
- Tesla Model Y 4WD
- Tesla Model 3 2WD
- Toyota RAV4 Prime 4WD
- Tesla Model S 4WD
- Volvo XC90 4WD
- Volvo XC40 4WD
- Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Subaru Crosstrek 4WD with EyeSight (2024)
- Lexus NX 350 4WD
- Infiniti QX60 4WD
- Kia EV6 4WD
- BMW iX 4WD
- Mini Cooper
- Toyota Venza hybrid 4WD
- Mercedes-Benz GLC 4WD
- Volvo XC90 Plug-In Hybrid 4WD
- Hyundai Elantra hybrid
EVs may be safer as thieves aren’t fans of vehicles that need to be plugged in. They’re also typically parked in garages or near buildings for charging, making them less accessible to opportunistic criminals.
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