Dodge’s cars top targets of thieves

Do you have a Tesla electric car? Or a twowheel-drive BMW 3 series luxury sedan?

Chances are you can get into your car right now and head out on your way.

But if you have a Dodge Charger HEMI or the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, you have a greater chance of being on hold with your insurance agent while reading this report.

That’s because those two large Dodge cars, known for their powerful engines, top the Highway Loss Data Institute’s list of vehicles most likely to be stolen.

The study, released Thursday by State Farm, found that the Infinity Q50-four door, Infiniti QX80 and GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab rounded out the top five most-stolen cars in model years 2016 to 2018.

“The models most likely to be stolen tend to be powerful, pricey or pickups, but vehicle theft is also a crime of opportunity,” HLDI senior vice president Matt Moore said in a statement. “Better security features on all vehicles would be the best way to address the problem.”

The survey also said July and August are the top two months for vehicle claims.

On the other side of the equation, the BMW 3-series four door, Tesla Model S 4WD, Tesla Model X 4WD, Chevrolet Equinox 4WD and Buick Encore 4WD were the least stolen cars.

The institute said the Teslas’ low theft rate may be related to the fact that, as electric vehicles, they are usually parked in garages or close to a house to be near a power supply.

What can you do? Before giving up that Dodge, try the basics like locking your car doors and never leaving the engine running. Also, hide your valuables and roll up your windows all the way, State Farm said.