Here’s the 10 most commonly stolen vehicles in Kentucky. See if your car made the list
The Lexington Police Department has reported more than 660 automobile thefts in the city from Jan. 1 through the end of June, the most recent month for which data are available.
Each month so far this year has seen higher numbers of reported vehicle thefts in Lexington than in the same months in 2021.
Only one month in 2022, February, has had fewer than 100 Lexington vehicle thefts reported. April had the highest number of recorded vehicle thefts so far this year, at 127. In April 2021, the Lexington Police Department reported 84 thefts.
You can see where in Lexington the police department has reported motor vehicle thefts with the Community Crime Map.
Here’s some data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau on which vehicles were most frequently stolen in Kentucky and nationally in 2021. Plus, read on for tips to prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
Which vehicles are most often stolen?
Here’s the top 10 most often stolen vehicles in Kentucky in 2021, according to the NICB:
2006 Ford pickup (full size)
2002 Chevrolet pickup (full size)
2007 Toyota Camry
2020 Chevrolet Malibu
2017 Ford Fusion
2009 Honda Accord
2001 Dodge pickup (full size)
2016 Nissan Altima
2008 Chevrolet Impala
2006 Toyota Corolla
The NICB says these were these were the mostly commonly stolen vehicles across the U.S. in 2021:
2004 Chevrolet pickup (full size)
2006 Ford pickup (full size)
2000 Honda Civic
1997 Honda Accord
2007 Toyota Camry
2005 GMC pickup (full size)
2020 Nissan Altima
2000 Honda CR-V
2018 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
2020 Toyota Corolla
What can you do to protect your vehicle from theft?
More than 800,000 vehicles were stolen in the U.S. in 2020, costing owners more than $7 billion, government data show.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers these tips to reduce thefts:
Take your car key with you; don’t leave it in or on your vehicle.
Close and lock all windows and doors when you park.
Park in well-lit areas.
Don’t leave valuables in your car, especially if they can be seen by passersby.
Thieves will take more than wheel covers and radios.
“Some of the most popular vehicle parts or valuable items stolen from vehicles include doors, engines, transmissions, air bags, radios, GPS units, cell phones, iPads, laptops, and purses,” the NHTSA says.
Drivers can also try to protect their car with an anti-theft device, which makes a vehicle more difficult to steal or easier to recover.
Alarms and steering wheel locks bring attention to or create a visual deterrence, the NHTSA says. Other devices can stop the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine to keep a thief from hot-wiring it. Recovery systems use electronic transmission technology to help police find a stolen vehicle.
Victims of car theft should contact the police immediately to file a report, the NHTSA recommends, and they should reach out to their insurance company within 24 hours.
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