Two years after the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft held in Ottawa on February 8, 2024, progress has been made and the number of cars stolen in the country is decreasing, according to data from Equité Association. But the problem is far from solved. The crisis continues, emphasizes the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). As proof, insurance claims for theft totaled $900 million in 2025.
The IBC notes that in two years, the federal government has implemented many elements of the National Action Plan that resulted from the Summit. Ottawa has invested in the capabilities and technology of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), made regulatory changes that allow the CBSA easier access to carrier facilities and port warehouses, and proposed amendments to the Criminal Code.
These efforts to crack down on criminal networks and enable the seizure of stolen vehicles before they leave Canadian ports have yielded some results. The number of auto theft claims has decreased by 27% over the past two years, according to IBC.
The largest decrease in Quebec
Quebec saw the largest decrease in the number of stolen vehicles between 2024 and 2025, according to a chart produced by Équité Association: it fell from 10,290 to 7,742, representing a 25% drop. In Ontario, thefts fell from 24,877 to 19,319, a reduction of 22%. However, it remains the province most affected by this type of crime.
Higher rates than ten years ago
Despite an average 18% decrease in the number of vehicles stolen between 2024 and 2025, auto theft rates in Canada remain significantly higher than they were a decade ago, underlines the IBC. During that same ten-year period, the IBC notes that insurance losses increased by 371%.
"We have seen a meaningful drop in auto theft in Canada over the past two years, but the auto theft crisis continues to persist," stated Liam McGuinty, Vice-President, Federal Affairs, IBC stated in a press release. “The federal government must keep fighting auto theft."
$900 million in claims in 2025
In its 2025 Auto Theft Trends Report published on February 11, Équité Association indicates that organized crime groups are adapting to measures taken by federal authorities by using more sophisticated methods. Their techniques are effective, and the bill remains steep for insurers: according to estimates from the IBC, claims for stolen vehicles in Canada totaled $900 million last year.
In addition to vehicle re-VINing (altering the identification number of a stolen vehicle) and chop-shop dismantling, "we are seeing a significant rise in vehicle finance fraud where criminals use identity theft and synthetic IDs to steal vehicles," stated Bryan Gast, National Vice President, Intelligence & Investigations, Équité Association, in a press release presenting the organization's report.
Problems in all regions of the country
Theft situations vary across Canada, reports Équité Association in its report.
Ontario and Quebec: The recovery rate in Ontario (51%) and Quebec (48%) in 2025 demonstrates that approximately half of stolen vehicles were not recovered, likely because they were exported or dismantled in chop-shops. Vehicle finance fraud increased by 72% in Quebec ports. The sport utility vehicle (SUV) is the most frequently stolen vehicle type in these provinces.
Western Canada: Recovery rates in Alberta decreased from 78% in 2022 to 71% in 2025, indicating an increase in exports and re-registration. Alberta continues to be a feeder province to register stolen and re-VINed vehicles for the rest of Canada. Pickup trucks are the most frequently stolen vehicle type in Alberta, as well as in Western Canada in general.
Atlantic Canada: Vehicle finance fraud: Vehicle finance fraud surged by over 89% between 2024 and 2025 at the Port of Halifax in Nova Scotia. Cars are the most frequently stolen type of vehicle in the Atlantic provinces.
Four suggestions from the IBC
A few days before the Équité Association report was released, the IBC issued four suggestions in its press release to accelerate the decline in auto thefts.
- Make vehicles harder to steal
The IBC is urging the federal government to move forward with its amendments to the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards announced for 2025, as all vehicles sold in the country should be designed to resist modern electronic theft techniques.
- Prevent stolen vehicles from leaving Canada
The IBC proposes adopting a rule that would require exporters to present their documentation and vehicles at the port 72 hours before the scheduled export. “Currently, exporters can provide their documentation weeks after their vehicles have been shipped overseas, limiting the ability to intercept any vehicles that are stolen.”
- Dismantle supply chains
Insufficient oversight and regulatory frameworks in the export sector facilitate the illegal shipment of stolen vehicles out of the country, according to the IBC. The association wants the government to address this “regulatory gap” by implementing measures to target unscrupulous actors, including fly-by-night freight forwarders who quickly appear and disappear.
- Improve data sharing at the international and national levels
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) now shares information on domestic thefts with the International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol, but much remains to be done, according to the IBC. In Canada, it is noted, that “modernizing the Interprovincial Record Exchange system remains critical to improving data sharing with provincial registries and closing vehicle registration loopholes that enable auto theft.”
