Colorado State Patrol has good-ish news for car owners: Car theft is improving statewide after soaring to record highs in 2022.
State patrol says reported car theft was down 21 percent in 2023.
But car theft today is worse than five years ago. And car thieves are still getting away with it: less than 15 percent are charged with a crime.
More 2023 stolen vehicle statistics from Colorado State Patrol:
- The two most-stolen vehicles in Colorado: Hyundai Elantra and Chevy Silverado.
- Hyundai and Kia models account for 23 percent of all reported stolen vehicles. Those two recently settled a $145 million class-action lawsuit for security measures.
- 32,976 vehicles stolen statewide in 2023, down from 41,656 in 2022.
- Three in four criminals charged with auto theft are racking up other charges.
- One in ten are violent.
- One in 20 are career car thieves (offenders with two-plus prior convictions).
- One in two stolen cars are recovered outside of the county where they were stolen.