--- title: "Dodge Charger Hellcat Is Still America’s Most Stolen Car and It’s Not Even Close" description: "According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, the Dodge Charger Hellcat was by far the most stolen between 2020-2022." date: "2023-08-31" modified: "2023-08-31" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/dodge-charger-hellcat-is-still-americas-most-stolen-car-and-its-not-even-close" categories: - "Dodge News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Charger SRT Hellcat" - "dodge" - "sports car" --- # Dodge Charger Hellcat Is Still America’s Most Stolen Car and It’s Not Even Close ![]() Thieves love [Hellcats](). From 2020 through 2022, thieves stole so many [Dodge]() [Charger ]()Hellcats that data experts at the Highway Loss Data Institute (a branch of the IIHS) were truly shocked. “If you own a Hellcat, you better check your driveway,” said HLDI Senior Vice President Matt Moore in a recent study. According to HLDI, there were 6,128 [Charger Hellcat ]()theft claims during the aforementioned two years. That's 255 claims per month over 24 months, and almost three times the number of claims filed for the second-most stolen car: The Dodge Charger (with a Hemi), which had a total of 2,197 claims. But how about the third? The Infiniti Q50, which racked up 878 claims. The average theft claim count per car, between 2020 and 2022, was 100. This means the Charger Hellcat was stolen more than 60 times more frequently than average. HLDI highlights that these numbers are for whole-vehicle theft claims and don't factor in claims for stolen parts like wheels or catalytic converters. ![]() Unfortunately, things are only getting worse. Between 2017 and 2019, the most stolen car was the Infiniti Q60, which averaged two thefts per 1,000 insured vehicle years (a metric commonly used to rank performance in an environment). The Charger Hellcat averaged 25 thefts per 1,000 insured vehicles years between 2020 and 2022. Conversely, the least stolen cars during that same time were the Tesla Model 3 and [Model Y](), with only three claims each. It's unclear why Teslas were stolen so infrequently, but it could be Sentry Mode or perhaps the fact that they are so connected and can be easily tracked. Or maybe Teslas just aren't desirable to thieves. However, electric vehicles seem to rarely get stolen, which makes sense because there just aren't nearly as many of them as regular cars. So if you have a Charger Hellcat or really any big V8-powered Dodge muscle car, you might want to visit your local dealer for some additional theft prevention: the company offers a free software upgrade called Key Programming Lockdown to combat unauthorized key fob duplication for Chargers and Challengers dating back to model-year 2015. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()