Colorado car thefts have more than halved since 2021, when the state reported the most vehicle thefts per capita in the country, according to a new report from the state patrol.
Vehicle thefts dropped 34% from 2024 to 2025, marking the third year in a row that reported thefts decreased in the state, according to a . Across the country, vehicle thefts fell by an average of 23% during that time.
Last year’s drop also marked a 56% decrease for Colorado auto thefts since 2021, the report stated.
Colorado’s 16,291 car thefts in 2025 ranked 14th in the country for volume, state officials said. The state’s motor vehicle theft rate per capita — 271 per 100,000 residents — was also the sixth worst in the country. That’s down from 2021, when Colorado documented the most vehicle thefts per capita, according to the report.
A sharp spike in thefts landed Colorado at the top of the list of all states for per capita auto thefts in 2021, with just over 500 stolen vehicles per 100,000 residents, according to . Motor vehicle thefts more than doubled in the state between 2019 and 2021, agency officials said.
“As we look to further safeguard our cars and our communities, we need additional commitment from every driver,” Col. Matt Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said in a statement. “Locking your cars and taking your keys is the bare minimum, but with tools from the — like free steering wheel locks at State Patrol offices, this is the best time to do more to protect our roads and our communities from the dangerous crime of auto theft.”
Hyundai and Kia thefts accounted for roughly 15% of all Colorado thefts in 2025, with a combined total of 2,445 vehicles stolen, according to the report. State officials said the 10 most stolen vehicles of 2025 included the:
- Chevrolet Silverado: 683
- Hyundai Elantra: 621
- Hyundai Sonata: 369
- Ford F-150: 358
- GMC Sierra: 326
- Ford F-250: 311
- Jeep Grand Cherokee: 222
- Honda Civic: 221
- Kia Optima: 216
- Honda Accord: 215
Most of the thefts happened inside metro Denver, including Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Gilpin and Jefferson counties, according to the report. In 2025, the metro area accounted for 69% of all vehicle thefts in Colorado.
