Here is some genuinely good news about car theft in New York.
Vehicle thefts are down 23 percent nationally in 2025 from their 2023 peak. That peak — 1,020,729 stolen vehicles in a single year — was driven largely by a viral social media trend that exposed security flaws in specific Kia and Hyundai models. The trend faded. Manufacturers patched the vulnerability. Thefts fell.
In New York, there were 31,865 reported vehicle thefts in 2024, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. That is down from the peak. But it is still 31,865 vehicles. And according to AAA Northeast, which published its annual vehicle theft warning this week, roughly 39 percent of those thefts happened between May and August.
You are in that window right now.
Where New York Thefts Actually Happen
The Bronx carries the heaviest vehicle theft burden in the state. NeighborhoodScout’s analysis of FBI crime data found that Bronx residents face a 1 in 319 chance of having their vehicle stolen — one of the highest rates in the country for any community regardless of size. Car theft in the Bronx has surged 237 percent since 2019, despite recent year-over-year improvement…