Car theft occurs every 48 minutes in Ontario and a new report is revealing the models most commonly stolen

Side view of a white Lexus RX in motion on highway (Konstantin Grigorev | Dreamstime.com)

A car is stolen every 48 minutes in Ontario, according to a new report issued by insurance platform HelloSafe.ca, and some makes and models are more popular targets than others.

According to the insurance platform’s data, the top three most stolen cars of the year in Ontario are the 2018 Lexus RX, the 2019 Honda CR-V and the 2019 Honda Civic.

The full list, including vehicle makes, models and years, is as follows:

The report claims that 47.2 per cent of all cars stolen in Ontario in 2021 were 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,” the report said.

“It is therefore not surprising to find SUVs at the top of the most stolen vehicles in Ontario in 2021.”

The report claims that Hondas were also are popular among thieves, with three of the company’s models ranking in the top ten.

In December, Toronto Police Services (TPS) issued their list of the most stolen vehicles of the past year in the city. TPS’s data also identified the Honda CR-V, the Lexus RX350 and the Honda Civic as the city’s more commonly stolen vehicles.

HelloSafe’s data is based on car thefts claims registered by car insurance companies, including the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Equité Association, the GAA and Statistics Canada, and does not include other motor vehicles types. For this reason, HelloSafe says their data may be different from other car thefts data from governmental sources.

TIPS TO AVOID CAR THEFT

Toronto police want residents to be aware of a few steps that can be taken to prevent vehicle thefts.

When parking your vehicle, ensure you lock any valuables out of sight, completely close all windows and doors, and turn your wheels to the side to make your vehicle is harder to tow.

Police also suggest parking in a well-lit, attended area, if possible.

When at home, utilize a parking garage, if possible, and don’t leave ownership or insurance cards in the vehicle while unattended.

Police also suggest backing into your driveway if you have a rear-wheel drive car and parking front-end first if you have a front-wheel-drive car.