Florida Vehicle Thefts Are Down Overall, But Lee County Is Up 4%

This week the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), released data on Florida vehicle thefts as well as theft trends nationwide. Data comparing 2023 to the prior year shows that although thefts were up in the United States, the amount of vehicles stolen in Florida were actually down. Hillsborough county actually showed a 9% yoy decrease in vehicle thefts. But Southwest Florida did not fare as well in the study, the data shows that vehicle theft in Lee County is actually up.

Starting this on a positive note, even though Florida's population grew 1.64% in 2023, the number of overall vehicle thefts went down. More people and less vehicle theft is the opposite of the national trend. According to NICB " Last year, more than one million vehicles were reported stolen and overall vehicle thefts increased about one percent nationwide from 1,008,756 in 2022 to 1,020,729 in 2023." Here's how Florida stacks up against some of the other states. When it comes to ranking by theft rate per 100,000 residents instead of volume of total thefts, Florida ranks 33rd in the nation.

So as vehicle thefts increased overall in the United States and hundreds of thousands of people moved here to the Sunshine State, the number of reported Florida vehicle thefts actually went down. That's pretty impressive, except that not all of Florida's counties fared so well.

Southwest Florida, more specifically - Lee County, did not fare as well in the data. Looking back to some of the trends in 2023 we're reminded of the Kia TIk Tok challenge. Lehigh Acres seemed to be especially prone to thieves using a Tik Tok 'hack' to steal Kia cars. I personally know 2 people in Lee County that had vehicles stolen last year.

Here's the top 8 counties (each FL county not listed saw less than 1,000 thefts last year) within Florida:

Although Florida vehicle thefts were down slightly in 2023, the nationwide trend is up. Be aware that even in gated communities, criminals are targeting your vehicles. Keep them locked and before the weather gets too hot, maybe clean out the garage a bit so you don't have to park on the street.

Now, let's take a look at which vehicles are being targeted the most here in Florida.

When it comes to grand theft auto, do criminals have a preference? Statistically, yes they do. And the vehicle topping the list of most Stolen vehicles in Florida did so dramatically. The difference between number 1 and number 2 on the list is double.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau releases it's 'most stolen' stats once a year breaking it down by not only which vehicle is most likely to get stolen - but which year as well. If you think thieves won't target your pickup because it's 10 years old, you'd be wrong. In fact, newer cars barely crack the national top 10 list. The most recent data includes all of 2022. And there's plenty of head scratchers.

On a national level, the number one most stolen vehicle last year was a full size Chevy pickup. 49,903 of those trucks were stolen last year, the most common model year stolen - 2004. Incredibly dependable truck with a lot of them still on the road 19 years after it left the lot. But why 2004? I can guess that because of it's age the truck has a lot less anti-theft technology. And, because trucks are in demand, even with 200,000 miles on it this truck is still worth $7,000 - $10,000.

Another to note on the national list is the Hyundais and Kias. A lot of them were stolen and was documented online on how incredibly easy they were to steal with something as simple as a USB cable. Strangely, this was more common on a national level than it was here in Florida. I guess Florida criminals want more of a challenge.

If you want to see the national list, or the top 10 list for another state, you'll find that here.

The Hyundai Sonata comes in 10th on the list of most stolen vehicles in Florida. 577 were stolen last year with the most common model year taken being the 2013. This was one of the vehicles documented online on how easy they were to steal. The only surprise it's that more weren't stolen,

The Honda CR-V is a very common vehicle here in Florida. 580 were stolen last year with the most common year taken being the 2021. This car is victim of global supply and demand. If your Honda CR-V is stolen, it may end up in a shipping container heading overseas.

This car may rise in popularity now that Dodge is discontinuing the gas powered models. 639 were stolen last year in Florida with the most targeted model year being 2021. This car was targeted after it was shown online that if you broke a window and climbed in you could put the car in neutral and push it down the street. From there it takes thieves about 90 seconds to program a new key FOB and then drive away.

772 Honda Civics were stolen last year in Florida. The 2020 model was the favorite. In 2022 a hacker developed a way to remotely unlock and start these cars. Made them waaaaay too easy to steal until that vulnerability was fixed.

There's so many Toyota Corollas in Florida it's no wonder this car made the list. 887 were stolen last year with the 2021 model being the most common.

Like the Corolla, there are a LOT of these cars on the road here in Florida. 989 stolen here in the state and the 2021 model was the one most targeted. Throw an Apple Air Tag in the back for a cheap piece of mind.

Tops in the nation, but 4th on the Florida list. Full size Chevy pickups had 992 reported stolen in Florida last year. The 2021 was the most common. There's a theory that these trucks are being targeted for their the catalytic converters. 

Another very common vehicle on the Florida roads, 1,000 Nissan Altimas were reported stolen in Florida last year. The 2015 was the year most swiped. If you have an Altima you need to read up on a “relay attack.” 

Honda Accords were the 2nd most targeted vehicle in Florida last year. 1,003 were taken with the 2021 being the most targeted.

And this is where we see the jump. 2,030 Ford pickups were stolen in Florida. The most common being the 2006 model. There are a lot of these trucks here in Southwest Florida, but one of the reasons so many are stolen may seem kind of simple. Some of the models are just too big to fit in the garage. Since the truck is in the driveway it's very vulnerable to a relay attack.

This is gonna freak you out when I explain it. Thieves know you toss your keys on the counter when you get home. So, after you've gone to bed this 2 person operation can take place. One person goes up to your house and stands next to a door or window with a signal booster. This boosts the signal from your key fob so that the signal reaches your truck. They can use this to open the locks, and even start the truck. Now that the truck's alarm is off, they put a tool into the OBD2 port and program a new key fob. Your truck is gone in a matter of minutes. 

You can stop this heist with $10. I did the Amazon search for you. You spent $60K on that F350. If you park it in the driveway I'd say a faraday cage for your keys is a pretty worthwhile investment.

If you want to see the data for other states, here's the link:

* Vehicle theft data is from 2023 NICB report released on April 9,2024. The Top 10 most stolen in Florida data is from a July 27, 2023 NICB report.