Popular mainstream SUVs and pickup trucks continue to be top targets for Canadian organized crime-run auto theft rings across the country, a new report says.
The Honda CR-V was the No. 1 pick for car thieves last year, with 2,137 stolen across the nation, according to a newly released report from insurance crime and fraud prevention expert Équité Association. It is the third time the Honda CR-V topped the list since 2021.
The report, which documents the top most-stolen vehicles in 2025, found that while the CR-V had the most thefts overall, the Lexus TX had the highest theft rate among insured models, at 11.37 percent.
The Honda Civic, Toyota RAV4, Dodge RAM 1500 Series, and the Ford F150 series rounded out the country’s five most-stolen vehicles.
The Lexus RX Series ranked sixth followed by the Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierra 1500 series, the Toyota Tundra, the Jeep Wrangler, and the Hyundai Elantra. Together, the top 10 models accounted for more than 10,991 vehicle thefts in 2025.
The report indicated that models from 2020 and later were the most frequently targeted. The exceptions were Honda Civics and Chevrolet/GMC Silverado/Sierras, for which 2018 was the most commonly targeted model year.
Organized crime groups continue to exploit weaknesses in vehicle anti-theft systems, the report said. As a result, globally serviceable models such as the Honda CR-V remain popular targets because ongoing security gaps leave them vulnerable.
Équité Association President and CEO Heather Masterson said auto theft continues to be a low-risk, high reward crime for organized networks.
“We must make vehicles harder to steal,” Masterson said in a press release. “Despite considerable collective efforts to combat auto theft, criminals continue to profit from the $900 million annually in stolen vehicles.”
The onus to stop vehicle theft cannot be on police forces alone, she said.
“It requires a collective, preventative shift across the entire ecosystem, including working in consultation with Transport Canada to update and align the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations with global best practices,” she added.
Auto theft behaviour and preferences varied from province-to-province in 2025, the report found.
Thieves in Ontario and Quebec primarily targeted a mix of newer SUVs and trucks, with a few exceptions. By contrast, half of the vehicles stolen in Alberta and Atlantic Canada were 2018 models or older.
Safety Concerns
The report found that national and industry efforts led to an 18 percent year-over-year decline in auto theft across Canada compared with 2024.
Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of Canadians polled (64 percent) said they are worried about the safety of their families because of the violent tactics used by some thieves.
“Those concerns reflect the current auto theft landscape where thieves are using key fob relay attacks and reprogramming to easily gain access to vehicles,” Équité Association investigative services national vice-president Bryan Gast said in the press release. “Systemic vulnerabilities must be addressed at the manufacturing stage to prevent vehicles from being stolen in the first place.”
The report pointed to a survey it conducted this past summer, in which 72 percent of Canadians indicated that mandatory anti-theft technology should be built into their vehicles, and not sold as an aftermarket add-on.
Ottawa launched a comprehensive National Action Plan in 2024 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.
Rates have since fallen, but police forces in urban areas like Toronto continue to warn car owners about the risk of violent carjackings or even home invasions in efforts to steal car keys.
A progress update by Public Safety Canada said the action plan has contributed to an increase in cargo searches conducted by the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency, along with improved intelligence sharing and cooperation in law enforcement among federal, provincial, and municipal agencies and their international counterparts.
The report said the CBSA intercepted 1,590 stolen vehicles in 2025 and another 386 in 2026 as of April 30.
