A Dodge Charger is 60 times more likely to be stolen than any other vehicle in the US. It's now taken the most-stolen crown from Hyundai and Kia.
- Dodge SRT Hellcat owners are being advised to be wary of thieves.
- Hellcats from 2020 to 2022 are 60 times more likely to be stolen than other cars, data shows.
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat owners should watch out: They're driving a car most frequently stolen in the US, according to new data that analyzes theft claims
Although cars made by Kia and Hyundai have gone viral for being easily stolen, 2020-22 models Dodge's beloved muscle car is stolen 60 times more frequently than the average for all cars from the same years, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute.
Out of every 1,000 cars reported stolen in insurance claims, 25 of them were Hellcats built between 2020 and 2022, the report says. The rate is about 18 more than models from 2019 to 2021.
"If you own a Hellcat, you better check your driveway," said HLDI Senior Vice President Matt Moore. "These numbers are unbelievable."
A spokesperson from Stellantis North America, Dodge's parent company, told Insider that Dodges "meet or exceed" all federal motor vehicle safety regulations. Dodge said its cars also "benefit from industry-standard vehicle-security technology," offering key-programming lockdown, which is meant to combat ignition-fob duplication.
A 2022 Hellcat can go for up to over $90,000, according to automotive magazine Car and Driver.
While theft claims are up for Hellcats, according to the insurance data group, it's Kia and Hyundai owners who will receive a $200 million payday for the lack of antitheft protection in their cars. The automakers settled a class-action lawsuit in May after a TikTok trend showed how the cars could be started using a charging cord or metal object.
The trend was popularized by the "Kia Boyz," who posted stealing the certain Kia and Hyundai models using a screwdriver and USB cord.
Affected drivers included owners of certain Kia models made between 2011 and 2021 and certain Hyundai models from 2016 to 2021. The Kia Sportage claimed the sixth spot on HLDI's list of cars with the most frequent theft claims.
Here are the top 10 vehicles with the highest theft claim frequencies, per HLDI:
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Dodge Charger HEMI
Infiniti Q50
Dodge Challenger
Land Rover Rover 4WD
Kia Sportage
Land Rover Range Rover Sport 4WD
Kia Sportage 4WD
Honda CR-V 4WD
BMW X6 4WD