The Toyota RAV4 has taken the top spot in Équité Association’s annual Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles list for 2024 for Canada. They said the results underscore the ever-evolving tactics of organized crime.
The 2021 Toyota RAV4 is new to the top spot, with 2,080 thefts of the vehicle, followed by the 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 Series with 2,018 thefts and the 2020 Honda CR-V with 1,911 thefts. Bryan Gast, national VP of investigative services for Équité Association, said the Toyota RAV4’s appearance at the top of the list is a clear indicator that organized criminal networks are not slowing down. He said they are “simply shifting their tactics.”
“We’re seeing a shift towards stolen vehicles being re-VINed for sale or disassembled in illegal chop shops and sold for parts,” said Gast in a statement. “As the cost to buy and maintain vehicles rises, we can expect to see this trend grow. We’ve seen a 47.5 per cent spike in thefts of high-value ($200,000-plus) luxury vehicles which shows that criminals are focusing on maximizing their payouts as auto theft becomes riskier due to strategic law enforcement and government resourcing.”
Équité said despite a national decline in auto theft, losses exceed $1 billion annually in claims. Terri O’Brien, president and CEO of Équité Association, added that auto theft remains a national issue even as we see early signs of progress.
“Despite an overall 19 per cent decrease nationwide, auto theft continues to cost Canadians over $1 billion in losses each year,” he said in a statement. O’Brien said Équité will continue to collaborate with Public Safety Canada.
