[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.

car theft
1 car is stolen every 48 minutes in Ontario (credit: Pixabay)

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:

80,000
car thefts

...occurred in 2021 across Canada

1 car stolen
every 7 minutes


... across Canada in 2021

$542 million
the annual cost of theft

...to car insurance companies in Canada


The Canada 2021 top 10 stolen cars ranking

winner 1
lexus

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.

RankBrandModelYearCar type
1
LexusRX2018SUV
2
HondaCR-V2019SUV
3
HondaCivic2019Sedan
4
ToyotaHighlander2019SUV
5
Chevrolet/GMCSilverado/Sierra 1500, 2500, 35002017Truck
6
FordF-150, F-250, F-350, F-4502017Truck
7
DodgeRam 1500, 2500, 35002019Truck
8
HondaAccord2018Sedan
9
ToyotaCorolla2017Sedan
10
Land RoverRange Rover2016SUV
The 2021 top 10 ranking of the most stolen cars in Canada (sources: Equité association, IBC)

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:

Source: Equité association, IBC

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:

Source: IBC

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:

Sources: IBC, Equité association

Good to know

Data related to the provinces where exists a mandatory public car insurance system (BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan) has not been released as for now.

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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Astrid Roussel
Press relations officer at HelloSafe Canada

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