Illinois Stolen Cars: Here Are The Top Ten Most-Swiped In 2024

Most of us will never have a car stolen, but that certainly doesn't mean it's not happening everywhere in the nation, including right here in Illinois.

Just in case you might have been thinking that car thieves are a dying breed, and that you have a greater chance of having your catalytic converter stolen than your vehicle, this is a quick reminder that car theft is still very much a thing.

As someone who once had their car stolen (it was swiped here in Rockford and then taken to Texas on a failed drug run where it was eventually found on the bottom of a lake), I can tell you that it wasn't the worst thing that ever happened to me, but the whole experience sucked.

My stolen car, a fire-engine red Pontiac Trans Am, is not on any of the "most stolen" lists anymore, so let's take a look at which vehicles are.

Not Much Good Came Out Of The Pandemic, But Overall Vehicle Theft In The US Has Finally Started Going Down Since Then

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), approximately one vehicle is stolen every 31 seconds in the United States, based on data from recent years.

To put that into context with previous years, In 2024, there were 850,708 vehicles reported stolen nationwide, which breaks down to roughly 97 vehicles per hour, which is a notable improvement from 116 vehicles per hour in 2023.

Here in Illinois, according to NICB numbers, 34,047 vehicles were stolen in Illinois in 2024, marking a 19% decrease compared to the previous year when  Illinois had 41,528 reported vehicle thefts.

As for this year, there aren't any complete numbers, but here are some preliminary ones:

• During a targeted campaign from April through June, the Illinois State Police (ISP) recovered 225 stolen or hijacked vehicles. That initiative also included 6 arrests, 15 firearms seized, 48 missions, 27 K-9 deployments, 48 air operations, and over 1,200 forensic lab assignments.

• Additionally, the Illinois Statewide Auto Theft Task Force (ISATT) recovered 143 stolen cars so far in 2025, leading to 85 criminal charges (45 felonies) and the recovery of 16 guns.

Here Are The Top Ten Most Stolen Vehicles In Illinois In 2024

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the top 10 most stolen vehicles in Illinois in 2024 were:

1. Jeep Grand Cherokee

2. Hyundai Elantra

3. Hyundai Sonata

4. Kia Optima

5. Kia Forte

6. Kia Sportage

7. Kia Soul

8. Hyundai Tucson

9. Dodge Charger

10. Infiniti Q50

And the top ten vehicles stolen nationally in 2024:

Dodge Charger: 11,452 thefts