[Auto] Car thefts have cost $542 million to insurers in 2021 in Canada and the 2018 Lexus RX was the most stolen model

$1000000000

… the total cost of car thefts across Canada in 2021.

Key numbers regarding car theft in Canada for 2021

Car theft costs Canadians $1 billion each year. Below are key figures on this phenomenon which, unfortunately, is not decreasing:

The Canada 2021 top 10 stolen cars ranking

Lexus RX 2018

In 2021, SUVs most tempted car thieves in Canada. The 2018 Lexus RX was the most stolen car. It is worth around $50,000.

• There are three more SUV in the rankings the 2019 Honda CR-V in second, the 2019 Toyota Highlander in 4th and the 2016 Range Rover in 10th of the most stolen cars in Ontario in 2021
• Hondas also are popular among thieves, with 3 of the company's models ranking in the top 10: the 2019 CR-V (2nd), the 2019 Civic (3rd) and the 2018 Accord (8th).
• In the middle of our top 10, we find 3 truck models: 2017 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra (5th), 2017 Ford F-150 to 450 (6th) and 2019 Dodge Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 from 2019 (7th).

We therefore realize that the preferred models of thieves are recent ones (between 2016 and 2019), and are distributed between different models and brands.

In 2021 45.1% of private insurance car theft claims in Canada were made for SUVs

The last few years have seen a major trend in the automotive industry: the emerging population of SUVs (sport utility vehicle), which have won over millions of Canadian consumers.

It is therefore not surprising to find SUVs representing the biggest amount of private insurance car theft claims reported in Canada in 2021 - around 10,140 thefts, as shown in the graph below. Next are:

• Sedans (31.2% - around 7,225 thefts)
• Trucks (20.4% - around 4,580 thefts)
• Vans (2.4% - around 540 thefts).

Car thefts cost insurance companies $542 million in 2021 across Canada

Out of the $1 billion cost of auto theft in 2021 across Canada, 54.2% was paid directly by auto insurance companies. Their claims payoffs were a total of $542 million. The remainder of the $1 billion cost includes:

• Police services
• Prison and justice services
• Health care for victims.

Ontario more negatively affected than Quebec, but less so than Alberta

To have the most impartial view possible when comparing car thefts by province, it is necessary to relate the actual number of thefts to the population of each territory. Here is what the numbers show:

• With 7.3 stolen cars per 10,000 inhabitants, Ontario is more negatively affected than Quebec (5.9)
• With an index of 13.1 stolen cars per 10,000 inhabitants, Alberta remains the most affected province in Canada - with an index more than twice that of Quebec
• The Atlantic provinces are by far the less negatively affected part of Canada, with only 3.2 stolen car per 10,000 inhabitants.

Our methodolgy

This study is based on information from public sources, including: the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Equité Association, the GAA and Statistics Canada.

About Hellosafe.ca

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