Imagine you’re on a family vacation. The family’s just finished a fantastic meal at that one restaurant you LOVE going to every time you’re in Washington state. As the family’s walking to the car, you drop your to-go box when you realize that your car isn’t where you left it. It’s been stolen. You thought you were prepared for every road-trip worst case scenario, but the car vanishing wasn’t on your list. 

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Before it disappeared, were you behind the wheel of one of the cars most targeted by thieves? The National Insurance Crime Bureau releases an annual vehicle theft report that doesn’t just show how many vehicles were stolen in a particular year, but which makes, models and year are targeted, too. Their most recipient numbers show that the number of vehicles stolen across the country continues to grow at an uncomfortably high rate. The latest numbers are from 2022 and the number grew 7% from the year before. 

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When you crack into the data for the report, they rank every state and 390 metropolitan areas by their car theft rates and things were, well, not good in Washington state. As a whole, the state jumped from #6 to #3. Four Washington metros made it into the Top 25 for the highest stolen car rates! Here’s a look at where the Washington metros ranked. 

  • #7 Seattle (Previous Year: #9)
  • #15 Kennewick (Previous Year: #132)
  • #17 Yakima (Previous Year: #20)
  • #20 Spokane (Previous Year: #63) 
  • #62 Olympia (Previous Year: #122)
  • #63 Longview (Previous Year: #83)
  • #68 Mount Vernon (Previous Year: #62)
  • #97 Bellingham (Previous Year: #150)
  • #135 Walla Walla (Previous Year: #254)
  • #205 Wenatchee (Previous Year: #218)

With so many metros on that list, you might be a little uncomfortable about leaving your vehicle unattended in Washington. That goes for residents and tourists visiting from Idaho, both! Some vehicle owners have more of a reason to worry than others.

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When you look at the 46,990 vehicles that went missing in Washington, which makes and models did thieves target the most? Here’s how the numbers broke down.

The 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Washington

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau's most recent "Hot Wheels" auto theft report, these were the 10 vehicles that thieves helped themselves to the most in Washington. The most recent data available reflects cars stolen in 2022. We expected the numbers from 2023 to be released sometime this fall.

Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart

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Gallery Credit: Tara Holley

The 10 Most Frequently Stolen Items in Idaho

According to the 2022 Crime in Idaho report, these are the 10 items that thieves want to steal from you the most.

Gallery Credit: Michelle Heart

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