Over One Million Vehicles Reported Stolen in 2022

According to a new analysis by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, more than one million vehicles were stolen in the United States last year – marking a 7% increase over 2021. Monthly theft totals nationwide consistently exceeded 75,000 in 2022.

The combined estimated value of the 1,001,967 reported thefts totaled $8.9 billion.

Vehicle theft data provided by the National Crime Information Center and analyzed by NICB indicated more than 250,000 thefts were reported in the fourth quarter of 2022 alone. NICB analysis showed the U.S. saw its highest vehicle theft numbers since 2008, when 1.05 million vehicles were reported stolen.

For recent comparison, according to NICB data, 937,976 vehicles were reported stolen in 2021; a total of 888,011 were reported stolen in 2020, and 801,023 auto thefts were reported in 2019.

*Law Enforcement Agencies may still be entering thefts for 2022, and these numbers may change.

The analysis shows California and Texas led the nation with the most reported stolen vehicles in 2022. Illinois had the largest increase of any top 10 state with thefts increasing by an estimated 35% between 2021 and 2022. Similarly, vehicle thefts increased by 31% in Washington state over the same period.

“We are seeing vehicle theft numbers that we haven’t seen in nearly 15 years, and there is very little deterrent to stop criminals from committing these acts as they are just property crimes, like shoplifting,” said David J. Glawe, President and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “We must reinvest in local law enforcement, provide the necessary resources for prosecution and community policing programs, and implement early intervention programs given the high incidence of juvenile offenders involved in vehicle thefts.”

The NICB is a nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting insurance fraud and crime.