WASHINGTON STATE — The number of cars stolen each year in the United States is getting close to the 1 million mark.
According to a new report by LendingTree, vehicle thefts jumped nearly 14% nationwide from 2020 to 2022.
In Washington, thefts were up more than 65% in that time period. Oregon was also within the “Top 5” on the list, jumping more than 40%.
Three of the top 10 cities seeing the largest spike in the country are in Washington: Kennewick, Bremerton, and Wenatchee.
“We’re talking about smaller places that we don’t necessarily associate with big city problems like car thefts,” said Rob Bhatt, LendingTree auto expert and insurance agent.
34 states saw theft rates increase with Vermont at the top of the list.
Experts said thefts play a part in setting insurance rates. The news isn’t all bad.
Washington insurance rates are still 22% below the national average because other factors balance it out.
“Some of the other things that play in to the equation include things like crash rates and also the cost of medical treatment, the cost of car repairs and all those things,” said Bhatt.
Six of the top 10 stolen models are Hyundai and Kia.
“The auto makers have provided a fix and I think that’s working its way through the system. Why they didn’t have this anti-theft technology in the first place is baffling,” said Bhatt.
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