Greenville County recorded 1,196 motor vehicle theft reports in 2025, ranking third among South Carolina counties, while the Honda Accord again led the state’s list of most frequently stolen vehicles. The figures came as vehicle thefts declined statewide during the first half of 2025 and national thefts continued a steep decline.
The Greenville News reported that the Accord topped South Carolina’s stolen-vehicle rankings in 2025, after holding the same position in 2024. The sedan also led the state’s list during the first half of 2026. Nationally, the Accord ranked second among the most-stolen vehicle models in 2025, with 17,797 reported thefts, behind the Hyundai Elantra’s 21,732 and just ahead of the Hyundai Sonata’s 17,687, according to Greenville News.
Why Thieves Keep Targeting the Accord
Honda vehicles can be attractive targets because their parts are in demand and the cars are common enough to blend into everyday traffic, according to the Greenville News report. A Fairmount theft spree earlier this year involving Accords and Civics also illustrated how diagnostic-port key reprogramming can be used in vehicle thefts, as reported by Hoodline.
The trend also reflects a broader shift in what fuels vehicle theft nationally. Hyundai and Kia models accounted for 14% of all U.S. vehicle thefts in 2025, down from 16% in 2024 and 21% in 2023, as automakers rolled out software anti-theft upgrades and other theft-prevention measures following the viral ignition exploits that once made those brands a top target, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Other theft techniques include parts harvesting and keyless electronic exploits.
How Thieves Are Bypassing Vehicle Protections
The methods documented in recent Greenville County cases include both key reprogramming and electronic attacks. In a separate April 20, 2026 report, FOX Carolina said deputies warned that thieves were using devices to amplify key-fob signals from inside homes so vehicles would recognize the keys as nearby. Honda says its immobilizer system uses an electronically coded ignition key and allows the fuel-injection system and ignition circuitry to activate only when that code is recognized, according to the Honda Information Center. That manufacturer description addresses the vehicle’s built-in protection, while the Greenville County warning shows why owners should also secure key fobs inside their homes.
South Carolina’s Numbers Keep Falling
South Carolina recorded 5,025 vehicle thefts during the first six months of 2025, a 21% decline from the 6,387 thefts reported over the same period in 2024, per Greenville News. That drop placed the state 19th nationally for vehicle thefts during that stretch, with roughly 91.72 thefts per 100,000 residents. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division also published a 2024 annual crime report, according to SLED…