Car theft epidemic may be easing, new data suggests
· Toronto Sun
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OTTAWA — With protecting their rides foremost on the minds of many new car owners, new data suggests Canada’s car theft epidemic may be slowing.
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Data released Tuesday by Équité Association showed a little over a 10% decline in vehicle thefts during the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year — which has the organization continuing their calls for automakers to introduce mandatory theft protection into new cars.
“The decrease in auto theft showcases the successful collaboration of the insurance industry with law enforcement and all levels of government,” said Équité’s Bryan Gast, the organization’s national vice-president of intelligence and investigations.
“It is now time for manufacturers to step up. In alignment with global best practices, Équité has advocated for the modernization of anti-theft requirements to Transport Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations.”
Long-term progress in battling auto theft, he said, depends on Transport Canada modernizing their Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations — particularly considering the ease modern criminals can steal newer-model cars, often without ever laying hands on the owner’s keys.
Nationally, 20,759 passenger vehicles were stolen in Canada during the first half of this year.
That’s down from the 23,093 cars and trucks stolen in the first half of 2025 — a 10.1% drop in thefts.
Ontario saw an 8.4% drop in auto thefts across the same time period, falling from 9,601 last year to 8,796 in the first half of 2026.
Thieves using high-tech tools to steal cars
Long gone are the days of thieves hotwiring cars — modern crooks use sophisticated relay attack devices to intercept and amplify wireless signals emitted by key fobs, even when they’re located in a home.
By spoofing the car’s proximity sensors into “seeing” the fob, the thieves can unlock the doors and start the engine, just as easily as if they had the key in their hands.
Automakers, however, have yet to seriously address the problem.
A 2026 Équité study found three-quarters of Canadians support mandatory anti-theft technology in all new vehicles.
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