Toyota Highlander tops list of most stolen vehicles in Canada. Here are the other models targeted by car thieves

The most stolen vehicle types in Canada have been revealed with Toyota, Dodge and Lexus models topping the list.

Équité Association, a national authority on insurance crime and fraud prevention, released its annual list of the most common vehicles reported stolen in the country in 2023.

In first place is the Toyota Highlander, kicking out the Honda CR-V which held the top spot for two straight years. 

The second most stolen vehicle in Canada is the Dodge Ram 1500 Series, followed by the Lexus RX Series, Honda CR-V and Toyota makes the list again in fifth spot with the RAV-4.  

Équité says it’s no surprise the popular Highlander topped the list as it’s globally serviceable and has a high resale value. Last year, there were more than 3,400 Highlanders reported stolen across the country.

Nine of the top 10 most stolen vehicles are 2019 or newer models, and most are SUVs, according to Équité. 

Meanwhile, in Ontario the Lexus RX Series topped the list as the most stolen vehicle, followed by the Highlander and Dodge Ram 1500 Series.

The new list comes as Ontario continues to face an elevated number of vehicle thefts. Between 2021-2023, auto thefts increased more than 48 per cent in the province, marking the highest growth out of all provinces during this time period, according to Équité’s auto theft trend report. 

Équité says the most stolen vehicles share a similarity. 

“One of the most common trends we’re seeing on the Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles list includes newer vehicles with keyless ignitions,” Bryan Gast, vice president, Investigative Services of Équité Association, said in a statement. 

“A modernized vehicle security standard aligned to the ULC 338 Standards is needed to address current methods of theft across all manufacturers. In addition, fortifying the unauthorized access to vehicle electronic systems is imperative to stop the auto theft crisis from continuing in Canada.” 

Équité recommends using a layered approach for vehicle theft prevention consisting of four categories: simple steps (eg. keep car doors locked, park vehicle in garage), anti-theft devices (eg. alarms, brake and/or wheel locks), vehicle immobilizers and tracking devices.

For more on Équité’s layered approach, visit here.