The latest models of higher-end SUVs and pickup trucks continue to be top targets for Canadian organized crime-run auto theft rings, especially in Quebec and Ontario, a new report says.
The Toyota RAV4 was the No. 1 choice for car thieves in 2024, with more than 2,000 stolen across the country, according to a newly released report from insurance crime and fraud prevention expert Équité Association.
The Dodge RAM 1500 Series, the Honda CR-V, the Ford F-150 series, and the Honda Civic rounded out the top five most-stolen vehicles in the country. The Honda Civic was the lone car to make the list.
The Jeep Wrangler took the sixth spot, followed by the Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierra 1500 series, the Toyota Highlander, the Toyota Tundra, and the Lexus RX Series. The top 10 list accounts for more than 15,700 stolen vehicles in 2024.
The report indicated that models from 2020 and later were the primary targets among various vehicle models, as criminals took advantage of contemporary keyless security weaknesses and higher resale prices.
Auto theft has dipped by 19 percent since 2023, yet still continues to cost Canadians more than $1 billion in insurance claims each year, Équité estimates.
Équité Association investigative services national vice-president Bryan Gast said there has been a shift toward stolen vehicles being re-VINed for sale or disassembled in illegal chop shops and sold for parts. Re-VIN refers to the illegal practice of altering or replacing a stolen vehicle’s original Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to conceal its identity.
“As the cost to buy and maintain vehicles rises, we can expect to see this trend grow,” he said in the statement.
There has also been a spike in luxury auto thefts, he said, noting that thefts of vehicles valued at more than $200,000 have risen nearly 48 percent. Gast said the change in focus can be attributed to criminals hoping to maximize their payouts as auto theft “becomes riskier due to strategic law enforcement and government resourcing.”
Criminal behaviour also varies from province to province. While auto thieves focused primarily on a mixture of newer model SUVs and trucks in Ontario and Quebec, older model pickups are more frequently targeted in Alberta.
This explains the presence of the 2006 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup in the national top 10, according to the report.
Auto Theft Plan
Ottawa launched its National Action Plan last May in a bid to address an uptick in auto theft through a country-wide crackdown that saw all levels of government working with law enforcement and the auto industry.Stolen vehicles are typically used in one of two ways, the government said. Gangs are either working with organized crime groups to send the vehicles to the Middle East and Africa, or the cars are being used to commit crimes within Canada before they are destroyed.
