10 Most Stolen New Cars in America

2015 Nissan Altima
Foreign-branded cars took three of the top four spots on the list of most stolen new cars in America. | Nissan

While the stolen car market isn’t what it used to be, there are still hundreds of thousands of vehicles going missing every year in America. As in other other years, those cars topping the list last year were high-volume foreign cars of late-1990s vintage, with the 1996 Honda Accord (52,244) and 1998 Honda Civic (49,430) at Nos. 1 and 2.

However, late-model-year cars were far from spared by thieves. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), which releases data on automotive thefts every year, reported over 7,000 new (2015 model year) cars stolen from the top 10 vehicles on its list alone. If you drive a popular make by Toyota or Chevy, this list is worth your attention. Here are the 10 most stolen new cars in America.

10. Chevrolet Cruze

2015 Chevy Cruze
Owners of a late-model Chevy Cruze ought to keep security equipment enabled. | General Motors

The 2015 Chevy Cruze pulled in at 10th place on the NICB list with a reported 586 thefts of this particular model year alone. In terms of anti-theft protections, recommendations from NICB tend toward the most obvious. “Far too often, drivers leave their vehicles unlocked or with the keys inside, making it way too easy for an opportunistic thief,” said NICB President Joe Wehrle.

Other ways proven to prevent theft recommended by the organization included enabling alarms, immobilizing a car, and adding on tracking (i.e., telematics) devices. Even when a sophisticated device can’t keep your car in the garage, it will be easier to get it back.

9. Chevrolet Impala

2015 Chevy Impala
Chevrolet makes three of the 10 most stolen new-car models in America. | General Motors

The 2015 Chevy Impala, another GM car that borders on nondescript, took ninth place with 586 reported thefts in a calendar year. In Michigan, the epicenter of love for Detroit cars, the most stolen car was the 2008 Impala, according to NICB data.  In other words, don’t leave this one running at the curb while you jump out to buy milk at the store.

8. Chevrolet Malibu

Chevrolet-Malibu-2015-Black-Color-Front-View-Wallpaper
Malibu is one of three Chevy cars on the most stolen new cars list. | Source: General Motors

The 2015 Malibu checks off the midsize box for Chevy as the third new car from its lineup landing in the top 10. Like Impala and Cruze, thieves would likely get to their nearest destination without attracting too much attention in a black Malibu. In 2015, 629 new models were reported stolen to crime agencies in America.

7. Hyundai Sonata

2015 Hyundai Sonata in silver
More than 600 new Sonatas were stolen in America in 2015. | Source: Hyundai

Hyundai Sonata, the lone Korean model making the most stolen new cars list for 2015, had 632 thefts reported to law enforcement agencies last year, placing it in seventh for the year. In our review of a late-model-year Sonata Hybrid, we found many things about this car worth coveting, and thieves seem to agree.

6. Dodge Charger

2015 Dodge Charger R/T
An unlucky 666 new Dodge Chargers were stolen in 2015. | Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles

While the Dodge Charger may be popular as a police car, those on the other side of the law have considered it a hot commodity as well. Last year, a most unlucky 666 Chargers from the 2015 model year alone ended up in thieves’ hands. Unlike a Cruze, this ride makes an excellent getaway car whether it’s a standard R/T (370 horsepower) or a Hellcat feeding off 707 horses.

5. GMC Sierra

2015 GMC Sierra
It may be conspicuous, but that didn’t stop thieves from stealing close to 700 new GMC Sierras in 2015. | General Motors

It’s hard to slip under the radar in a brand-new, full-size pickup truck, but that didn’t prevent thieves from targeting the 2015 GMC Sierra last year. In just one calendar year, a reported 670 trucks from this late-model year were stolen in America. Overall, the most popular pickup among thieves was the 2006 Ford F-150 (29,396), followed by 2004 Chevy trucks (27,771).

4. Toyota Corolla

2015 Toyota Corolla
It may not work as a getaway car, but Toyota Corollas were among the most stolen new cars in America in 2015. | Toyota

We can’t imagine cops being intimidated by reports of a suspect fleeing the scene in a Toyota Corolla, but thieves have made this popular car a prime target for years. In 2015, some 10,547 Corollas from the 2014 model year were stolen. The 2015 Corolla took home fourth place among new models with 776 thefts reported in that calendar year.

3. Toyota Camry

2015 Camry with a California backdrop
America’s favorite car was also one of its most stolen in 2015. | Toyota

America’s favorite car has remained a favorite target of thieves in several model years. The 2014 Toyota Camry had a stunning number of reported thefts (15,466), and the 2015 model ended up in third place for the year with 923 models gone missing. If there is any lesson to learned from the number of stolen Camrys, it would be “thieves don’t care about sexy.”

2. Chrysler 200

2015 Chrysler 200
Get ’em while they’re hot: The much-stolen Chrysler 200 has been discontinued. | Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles

Trucks and SUVs are so hot in America that Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne decided it was time to discontinue the unpopular Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200. In something of a surprise twist, the 200 has become one of the more popular cars to steal in America. Last year, 1,069 models were picked off from unsuspecting owners.

1. Nissan Altima

2015 Nissan Altima
Can’t pick it out in a lineup: The unusually indistinct Altima was the most stolen new car in 2015. | Nissan

There are some cars that stand out in any garage and on any street corner. You take one glance and there is no question what make and model it is. Nissan Altima is not of those cars, and thieves may use that trait to advantage when picking out a target. In 2015, no new car was stolen more frequently: 1,104 Altimas from the 2015 model year disappeared into unauthorized hands over that 12-month span.

Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau

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