Owners of pickups get the best of all automotive versatility. But there’s also a dubious consideration—truck theft.
According to newly released statistics from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, four of the top-10 most stolen vehicles in the United States are pickup trucks.
At the top of the stolen list for the second straight year is the Ford F-250 pickup. The theft of the country’s most popular vehicle increased 13 percent from 2019 to 2020, with 44,014 reports of stolen trucks. The most “popular” year for the full-size pickup truck’s theft is 2006.
Trucks on the most stolen vehicle list also include at No. 10 Dodge Ram 1500 (11,991); No. 7, GMC Sierra 1500 Denali (13,016); and No. 2, Chevrolet Silverado (40,968).
Dodge trucks were stolen 6.2 percent more in 2020 than in 2019. The 2001 model year is the most often stolen. GMC’s full-size pickup theft was up 16.6 percent in 2020, with the 2005 model year most frequently stolen. Chevy trucks had a major spike in 2020, 25.7 percent more than in 2019. The most stolen year is 2004.
According to the NICB, 2020 had the highest theft rate in more than a decade. There was a 13 percent overall increase from 2019. The tally shows 41 states had an increase in 2020 from the previous year. The most recent statistics also detail the increase has continued through June 2021.
Here’s the top-10 most stolen vehicle list in reverse order:
10. Dodge Ram 1500, 11,991; (6.2 percent)
9. Honda CR-V, 12,309 (21.9 percent increase)
8. Toyota Corolla, 12,515 (3.1 percent increase)
7. GMC Sierra 1500 Denali, 13,016 (16.6 percent increase)
6. Nissan Altima, 14,688 (9.8 percent increase)
5. Toyota Camry, 16,915 (8.0 percent increase)
4. Honda Accord, 30,814 (0.2 percent increase)
3. Honda Civic, 34,144 (2.8 percent increase)
2. Chevrolet Silverado, 40,968 (25.7 percent increase)
1. Ford F-250, 44,014 (13.0 percent increase)
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James Raia, a syndicated columnist in Sacramento, California, publishes a free weekly automotive podcast and electronic newsletter. Sign-ups are available on his website, www.theweeklydriver.com. He can be reached via email: james@jamesraia.com.
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F150 not F250 is #1
Thanks, James. I just looked at the report itself and it just says “Ford Pickup (full size)” – so I’m not sure which model that includes. It sounds like any/all of them, actually. Have a great day. 🙂 –Diane
Sounds like the F-150 through the F-350 to me too.
Thanks, Eric. Yep, I think they’re referring to the “F” series in general. Take care. 😀 –Diane
There is no such thing as a Dodge RAM. Ram is no longer affiliated with Dodge. The word “Dodge” is nowhere on my 2022 RAM 2500.
But they are owned by Fiat. With a little investigation you probably would find light switches, engine parts, etc. that are the same in both Dodge vehicles and Ram vehicles. It’s almost like Chevrolet and GMC vehicles sharing components.
Most of these stolen vehicles are older. The Dodge Rams mentioned as most popular are 2001. Dodge and Ram split in 2009. So yes, they are most likely Dodge Rams.