Thieves are now stealing fewer vehicles in Quebec and Ontario — but they’re gaining traction in other provinces
- Auto theft claims in Canada fell slightly this year, but overall they’re well above historic levels
- In the first half of 2024, claims rose by 138% compared to ten years ago, with the value up by 442%
- Theft is dropping in Quebec and Ontario, but rising in other provinces
Auto theft claims in Canada fell slightly in the first half of 2024, but overall, the number and value of claims continues to stay well above historic levels. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has released a report showing that while claims are down 19% over the first six months of this year, over the past decade the number of claims has increased by 138%, while the value of auto-theft claims has soared up by 442%.
“Concerted actions by law enforcement, insurers, governments and drivers to combat theft are showing results, but more remains to be done,” said Liam McGuinty, ICB’s vice-president of strategy. He added that the theft rates place pressure on insurance premiums, compromise public safety, and cause Canadians “concern and trauma.”
In the first half of 2024, there were 17,647 auto theft claims, at a combined cost of $544,721,183. That was down from the same period in 2013, when 21,907 claims were submitted at more than $765.5 million — but in the first six months of 2014, there were only 7,406 claims, and they totalled just over $100.5 million.
There were considerable differences between provinces in the first six months of 2024, when theft claims fell by 41% in Quebec and by 16% in Ontario. That marked a 36% improvement in Quebec compared with the first half of 2014; and 291% better in Ontario.
However, claims went up by 27% in Nova Scotia; by 14% in New Brunswick; and by 1% in Alberta. The value of claims increased in Alberta by 11% over the same period in 2023, and by 179% over the last ten years.
IBC said the regional differences can include the “opportunistic nature of car thieves, who may be shifting their focus away from provinces like Ontario and Quebec, where law enforcement has invested significantly in combatting auto theft, toward Western and Atlantic provinces.”
Expensive new luxury vehicles remain popular with thieves, in part because they’re an easy illegal sell in international markets. IBC said that in many cases, they’re exported by domestic and international crime organizations, which then often use the proceeds for drug trafficking, terrorism, and arms dealing.
“Fighting auto theft requires a whole-of-society approach,” McGuinty said. “Now is not the time to take our collective foot off the accelerator in this fight.” IBC is calling for action to stop stolen vehicles from being shipped out of the country, to address vehicles being fitted with new vehicle information numbers (VIN), and to update Canada’s motor vehicle safety standards to prevent theft in the first place. Earlier this year, IBC noted that the value of auto-theft insurance claims in Canada hit $1.5 billion in 2023 for the first time ever.
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