Here’s the 10 most commonly stolen vehicles in IL and MO. See if your car made the list
Illinois vehicle thefts increased by more than 12% from 2019 to 2020, the most recent year for which data are available, according to the Illinois Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention & Insurance Verification Council’s 2021 report.
There were more vehicle thefts recorded in Illinois in 2020 than for any year after 2012, according to the report. While 65% of those vehicle thefts occurred in Cook County, St. Clair County recorded 775 vehicle that year, and Madison County reported 637.
July is National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, and there are several best practices motorists can use to mitigate the likelihood of vehicle thefts.
Here’s some data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau on which vehicles were most frequently stolen in Illinois, Missouri and nationally in 2021. Plus, read on for tips to prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
Which vehicles are most often stolen?
Here’s the top 10 vehicles most often stolen in Illinois in 2021, per the NICB:
2014 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
2020 Chevrolet Malibu
2020 Dodge Charger
2007 Toyota Camry
2015 Nissan Altima
2005 Ford pickup (full size)
2008 Chevrolet Impala
2021 Chevrolet pickup (full size)
2016 Honda Civic
2014 Honda Accord
Here’s NICB’s 2021 list of the most frequently stolen vehicles in Missouri:
2004 Ford pickup (full size)
2005 Chevrolet pickup (full size)
2001 Dodge pickup (full size)
2020 Chevrolet Malibu
2015 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
2020 Nissan Altima
2007 Toyota Camry
2004 GMC pickup (full size)
1997 Honda Accord
2008 Chevrolet Impala
The NICB says these were these were the mostly commonly stolen vehicles across the U.S. in 2021:
2004 Chevrolet pickup (full size)
2006 Ford pickup (full size)
2000 Honda Civic
1997 Honda Accord
2007 Toyota Camry
2005 GMC pickup (full size)
2020 Nissan Altima
2000 Honda CR-V
2018 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
2020 Toyota Corolla
What can you do to protect your vehicle from theft?
More than 800,000 vehicles were stolen in the U.S. in 2020, costing owners more than $7 billion, government data show.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers these tips to reduce thefts:
Take your car key with you; don’t leave it in or on your vehicle.
Close and lock all windows and doors when you park.
Park in well-lit areas.
Don’t leave valuables in your car, especially if they can be seen by passersby.
Thieves will take more than wheel covers and radios.
“Some of the most popular vehicle parts or valuable items stolen from vehicles include doors, engines, transmissions, air bags, radios, GPS units, cell phones, iPads, laptops, and purses,” the NHTSA says.
Drivers can also try to protect their car with an anti-theft device, which makes a vehicle more difficult to steal or easier to recover.
Alarms and steering wheel locks bring attention to or create a visual deterrence, the NHTSA says. Other devices can stop the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine to keep a thief from hot-wiring it. Recovery systems use electronic transmission technology to help police find a stolen vehicle.
Victims of car theft should contact the police immediately to file a report, the NHTSA recommends, and they should reach out to their insurance company within 24 hours.
