A new car costs more than $50,000 these days, so it stands to reason we've never had less patience for car thieves. Stealing a Mitsubishi Mirage was one thing, that car only cost $16,695 brand-new in 2024. But now you're jacking my $22,625 Hyundai Elantra? These crooks have us looking back over our shoulder every step of the way from the parking lot into the grocery store.It's even worse in Washington DC, where drivers have to put up with an auto theft rate of 373 stolen vehicles per 100,000 residents. That's according to our friends at Alan's Factory Outlet, who recently put together an informative study on car theft, finding that nobody has it worse than Hyundai owners living in the Nation's Capital.The following is based primarily on the study provided by Alan's Factory Outlet. Any conclusions or opinions offered herein are those of the author. How Was This Study Conducted? Hyundai Alan's Factory Outlet started their study with a deep dive into data made available by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), focusing specifically on vehicle thefts taking place across the US in 2025. Additionally, Alan's Factory Outlet surveyed 1,000 car owners earlier this year to discover how the average American driver is responding to the threat of vehicle theft.In particular, the study aims to identify patterns regarding brands and hotspots most commonly associated with theft, and explore methods by which a driver might protect their car, truck, SUV, wagon, or minivan. Of course, there's no way to guarantee that your car is never stolen, but the more you know, the better your odds of staying safe. Thieves Love Elantras, And Sonatas Aren't Far Behind Hyundai Jumping right into the most-stolen vehicles, Asian brands like Hyundai and Honda make up some of the most common targets of auto theft, but drivers who buy domestic aren't exactly off the hook. Here's what the top 10 looks like, based on total reported thefts in the first half of 2025.There is naturally going to be some correlation here with total sales, and total thefts. Ford sold 828,842 F-Series pickups last year, the law of averages tells us that the truck is going to make the top 10. But, it's not a 1:1 correlation. Crooks swiped 3,010 more Chevy Silverados than Ford F-150s in the first two quarters of 2025, despite Chevrolet only selling 587,527 units last year. The Kia Boys Are At It Again Kia The Elantra only sold 148,200 units in 2025. If we assume car thieves snatched as many Hyundais from July to December as they did from January to June, that means that they're stealing one Elantra for every six Hyundai sales.This no doubt owes in large part to security weaknesses in Hyundais, and Kias, for that matter. Criminals are, first and foremost, opportunists. In the Elantra's case, the key vulnerability is that many of these cars don't have immobilizers. This means that that anyone who wants to steal a car for a joyride is going to get much further in an Elantra than they would in, say, a Ford Escape.To be clear, these are 2025 thefts, but not 2025 models. Newer Elantras are equipped with engine immobilizers as a standard feature. Thieves are preying on the older ones. So don't let this scare you off of buying a brand-new Hyundai. Washington DC Thieves Are Twice As Busy As Those In California Ford They always set those Grand Theft Auto games in a fictional version of Miami or California or New York. Sometimes Las Vegas, but never Washington DC, even though it would be the perfect place for those games to take place. And no, we're not making a political joke. The District of Columbia just happens to see nearly twice as many automotive thefts, per capita, as California. Here's what the top 10 list looks like, rounded out to the nearest whole number.These numbers tend to track with crime rates in general, but there's another factor at play. The average age of a vehicle in New Mexico, for instance, is 14 years, a year and change higher than the national average of about 12.8 years.In rural areas, where drivers put more highway miles on their cars than city miles, you're likely to see a slightly higher average vehicle age. Likewise, states with less money tend to hold onto their cars longer simply because new cars are so darn expensive. Older cars are more vulnerable to theft, therefore, states with more old cars tend to see higher rates of theft It's Not All Bad News Hyundai Amid all this doom and gloom, the NCIB does provide some good news. Motor vehicle thefts are down by about 23% since 2024, likely owing to more advanced anti-theft technology. Still, the FBI tells us that one car is stolen every 37 seconds in this country, an incredible statistic. So what can we do about it? Let's ask the folks who answered Alan's Factory Outlet's survey. 60% are using car alarms. 20% have invested GPS trackers. 18% have installed dash cams. 7% use a steering wheel lock. Luxury car drivers are the most likely to install dash cams, with tech-savvy Tesla buyers taking the lead at 56%, BMW owners in second at 31%, and Lexus in third at 29% of owners. Parking is a common source of anxiety for American drivers. 51% of owners say they worry about their cars being targeted while they're tucked into bed, unable to do anything about a theft or vandalism. Some 22% of drivers say that they've changed their routine as a result of these anxieties, and 14% have switched their usual parking spaces. One in eight drivers say that they would be willing to pay an average of $55 per month for secure parking. You Have More To Worry About In An Older Car Hyundai If you're buying a new car, something dated 2025 or 2026, you probably don't have to worry too much about security vulnerabilities. Ultimately, no matter what you drive, where you park is going to be more important. Just like in real estate, location is the first rule of avoiding auto theft. And the second and third rule, for that matter.Security devices like dash cams can act as a deterrent. In some instances, a potential thief may simply see your cam and walk away, which makes us wonder why more cars don't offer them as a standard feature. Meanwhile, GPS trackers can help you to get your car back should something happen to it.Finally, full insurance coverage is going to buy you a lot more peace of mind than trading your F-150 in for a Toyota Tundra, just because the Tundra doesn't appear on the list. Don't get us wrong, the Tundra is an awesome truck, and one of our favorite used pickups, but if it's not showing up on the top-10 most-stolen list, it's probably because Toyota sold around one Tundra for every eight F-150s sold by Ford. So don't sweat the nameplate.