Metro Denver's Ten Most Stolen Cars and Why the Targets Have Changed

The favorite cars of thieves have changed dramatically.

October 19, 2022

Image: Kia Sportages top metro Denver's current list of most stolen vehicles.

Kia Sportages top metro Denver's current list of most stolen vehicles. YouTube

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Denver was rated the worst city in the U.S. for car thefts in 2021, with Colorado topping the list of states for the same crime — and a 17 percent increase in stolen vehicles statewide during the first six months of 2022 indicates that Colorado could earn that title again this year.

In advance of its next major report, the Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (C-MATT) has assembled its list of the most stolen vehicles in metro Denver from July 1 to September 30, and the numbers are staggering. Comparing the stats to C-MATT figures from five years ago demonstrates how the scope of the problem has increased over the past decade, even as the favorite targets have changed — thanks in part to TikTok.

Here's the list of the most stolen vehicles in metro Denver from July 1-September 30, 2017, complete with total thefts and the model years included in the count:

1. Honda Civic
Number stolen: 336
Years of make/model stolen: 1988-2016

2. Honda Accord
Number stolen: 241
Years of make/model stolen: 1989-2016

3. Subaru Impreza
Number stolen: 193
Years of make/model stolen: 1993-2017

4. Ford F-250
Number stolen: 159
Years of make/model stolen: 1995-2015

5. Ford F-350
Number stolen: 102
Years of make/model stolen: 1996-2015

6. Subaru Legacy
Number stolen: 95
Years of make/model stolen: 1990-2016

7. Jeep Cherokee
Number stolen: 81
Years of make/model stolen: 1989-2017

8. Dodge Ram Pickup
Number stolen: 61
Years of make/model stolen: 1994-2011

9. Ford F-150
Number stolen: 55
Years of make/model stolen: 1984-2017

10. Subaru Forester
Number stolen: 52
Years of make/model stolen: 1998-2017

And here are the ten most stolen vehicles in greater Denver from July 1-September 30, 2022:

1. Kia Sportage
Number stolen: 467
Years of make/model stolen: 2017-2022

2. Hyundai Tucson
Number stolen: 389
Years of make/model stolen: 2016-2019

3. Hyundai Sonata
Number stolen: 368
Years of make/model stolen: 2013, 2015-2017

4. Chevrolet Silverado
Number stolen: 355
Years of make/model stolen: 2000, 2004-2006

5. Kia Optima
Number stolen: 332
Years of make/model stolen: 2013, 2015

6. Hyundai Elantra
Number stolen: 274
Years of make/model stolen: 2013, 2016-2017

7. Kia Sorento
Number stolen: 199
Years of make/model stolen: 2016-2017, 2019

8. Ford F-250
Number stolen: 163
Years of make/model stolen: 1999, 2002-2004, 2006

9. GMC Sierra
Number stolen: 150
Years of make/model stolen: 2000, 2005

10. Kia Soul
Number stolen: 148
Years of make/model stolen: 2014-2016, 2018

Only one vehicle appears on both lists — the Ford F-250, which was fourth in 2017 with 159 thefts and eighth in 2022 with 163. The 2022 roster is dominated by Kia (four makes) and Hyundai (three), and their dominance on the Denver roster isn't an anomaly. Kia and Hyundai are currently the most stolen cars in the United States, according to data from the Highway Loss Data Institute.

Why? As reported by CNN last month, many Kia and Hyundai models from 2015-2019 "lack some of the basic auto-theft prevention technology included in most other vehicles, even in those years" — specifically, computer-chip-enabled electronic immobilizers, which prevent a vehicle from moving unless the proper key is used.

To make matters worse, stealing Kias and Hyundais for laughs rather than resale value recently became a TikTok challenge that has led some owners of the vehicles to file lawsuits against the manufacturer; Hyundai is Kia's parent company.

Not only have the kind of vehicles changed, but the numbers have...by a lot. The thefts of the top ten vehicles in 2017 add up to 1,375, fewer than half of the 2,845 so far in 2022.

And this sorry trend is just picking up speed.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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