The Lexus RX has topped this year’s list of the most stolen vehicles in Ontario as the auto theft crisis continues to worsen across the province and country.
Équité Association, an insurance fraud prevention group, released its annual list of stolen vehicles Tuesday, identifying the 2022 Lexus RX as the most stolen vehicle in the province. The 2022 Toyota Highlander, which was the most stolen vehicle Canada-wide, was the second-most stolen vehicle in Ontario.
The Highlander, Équité said, is targeted by thieves due to the fact that it is globally serviceable and has a high resale value.
“Criminals continually shift demand to maximize their profits from the illegal sale of vehicles,” the report notes.
“It (The Highlander) also shares similarities with nearly all of the vehicles on the national list, where the vehicles are 2019 or newer models.”
The 2022 Dodge Ram 1,500 series took third spot on Ontario’s list. The vast majority of vehicles on the province’s list were SUVs and pickup trucks, with the exception of one car, the Honda Civic.
According to Équité, between 2021-2023, auto theft has increased by 48.2 per cent in Ontario, 57.9 per cent in Quebec, 34 per cent in Atlantic Canada, and just 5.5 per cent in Alberta.
“The most crucial step in fighting auto theft is stopping it before it starts,” Bryan Gast, vice president of Investigative Services of Équité Association, said in a written statement.
“One of the most common trends we’re seeing on the Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles list includes newer vehicles with keyless ignitions.”
While he acknowledged that hundreds of millions of dollars have been committed by both the provincial and federal governments to combat auto theft, there is “much more to be done.”
“The crisis is far from over in Canada,” Gast said.
“A modernized vehicle security standard aligned to the ULC 338 Standards is needed to address current methods of theft across all manufacturers. In addition, fortifying the unauthorized access to vehicle electronic systems is imperative to stop the auto theft crisis from continuing in Canada.”
Other vehicles that made Ontario’s list this year include:
#4: Honda CRV (2020)
#5: Land Rover Range Rover Series (2020)
#6: Chevrolet/ GMC Suburban/ Yukon/ Tahoe Series (2023)
#7: Jeep Wrangler (2023)
#8: Toyota RAV 4 (2021)
#9 : Honda Civic (2019)
#10 : Ford 150 (2022)