Dodge cars with big engines top HLDI’s list of most stolen vehicles

Two large cars known for their powerful engines — the Dodge Charger HEMI and the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat — top the Highway Loss Data Institute’s list of vehicles most likely to be stolen.

Both vehicles have claim rates for whole-vehicle theft that are more than 5 times the average for 2016-18 models, as does the Infiniti Q50, a midsize luxury sedan. Nearly all 20 models with the highest theft rates are either vehicles with big engines, luxury vehicles or pickups.

Somewhat puzzlingly, the car that tops the list of least stolen vehicles is also a midsize luxury sedan, the two-wheel-drive BMW 3 series. It had just one claim for whole-vehicle theft in 104,901 insured vehicle years. An insured vehicle year is one vehicle insured for one year.

MORE: 2017 motor vehicle crime stats in the U.S.

Two of the vehicles on the least-stolen list are the Tesla Model S and Model X. Their low theft rate may be related to the fact that, as electric vehicles, they are usually parked in garages or close to a house to be near a power supply. In a separate report last year, HLDI showed that electric vehicles from a variety of manufacturers have lower theft claim rates than comparable vehicles.

Vehicles with the highest claim frequencies for whole-vehicle theft
2016-18 model years

1. Dodge Charger HEMI
2. Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
3. Infiniti Q50 4-door
4. Infiniti QX80
5. GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab
6. Dodge Challenger
7. Nissan Maxima
8. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab
9. Chrysler 300 4WD
10. Mercedes-Benz S-Class 4-door long-wheelbase 4WD

Click HERE to read the full Top 25 list and see which vehicles have the lowest claim frequencies.