Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has become the most frequently stolen car in the United States, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute, or HLDI.
The HLDI's analysis shows that in relation to the number of Camaro ZL1s on the roads, it has a whole-vehicle theft rate 39 times the average compared to all other vehicles.
The regular Camaro has also become a top target for thieves, with a whole-vehicle theft rate 13 times the average of all vehicles.
The targeting of Camaros is a recent development, according to HLDI, which reports it hasn't historically appeared near the top of its vehicle theft claim frequency rankings.
However, its two latest reports for 2025 rank the ZL1 two-door, Camaro two-door and Camaro convertible among the 10 2022-24 passenger vehicles with the highest theft and whole vehicle theft claim occurrences.
"Muscle cars have often topped this list, as thieves are attracted to vehicles with high horsepower," said Matt Moore, chief insurance operations officer at HLDI and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in a press release.
"That also helps explain why the more expensive, more powerful ZL1 is stolen so much more often than the standard Camaro."
Aside from the horsepower, Camaros also have a technical issue that allows thieves to clone the key code for newer models by accessing the car's on-board ports. General Motors launched a service campaign in March for 2020-24 Camaro models, under which owners can bring their vehicles to dealerships for a free software update that should reduce the theft risk.
In the other direction, the 20 least-stolen vehicles include eight electric vehicles and two plug-in hybrids, which all have whole-vehicle theft claim incidences that are more than 85% lower than the all-vehicle average.
HDLI studies have shown electric vehicles are not as attractive to thieves because they're more likely to be in a garage or parked near buildings to facilitate charging.
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