Almost 33,000 vehicles stolen

Hyundai and Kia manufactured vehicles collectively accounted for 23% of all reported thefts in the state, according to the Colorado State Patrol

Auto theft is on the rise in Colorado — nearly 33,000 vehicles were stolen in 2023, a 13,000-odd car jump from just five years earlier, according to a new report.

Over the past five years, auto theft has risen 62% in Colorado, with 32,976 vehicles being reported stolen in 2023 alone, officials announced Friday.

The state was on track to see a nearly 100% increase over the five-year period, but a sudden drop in the number of reported vehicle thefts between 2022 and 2023 curbed the rising rate, according to a Friday news release from the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Agency.

Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Silverado emerged as the most often reported stolen vehicles, according to Friday’s release. Hyundai and Kia-manufactured vehicles collectively accounted for 23% of all reported thefts in the state.

Rates of reported vehicle thefts across the state dropped 21% between 2022 and 2023, where they had risen 12% the prior year, the release stated. That worked out to 8,680 fewer thefts in 2023.

From 2019 to 2024, the number of reported car thefts jumped 62% overall and 56% per capitax, according to Friday’s report. The nearly 33,000 stolen vehicles reported in 2023 are estimated to be worth more than $430.8 million, according to Friday’s report.

More than half of the stolen vehicles that were recovered were found outside the city or town where the theft occurred, officials said in the release Friday. And 76% of cases filed involved additional criminal charges, such as “crime of violence” or weapons-related charges.