These Are The Most Stolen Keyless Cars In California - Is Yours On The List?

The state of California has gained a title that no state wants to have: Having the most car thefts. In fact, California has more than twice the number of stolen cars as Texas, which holds the second position. The good news is that the total number of thefts in California actually dropped by 14% compared to the previous year, but the numbers are still sky-high, with approximately 180,000 car owners waking up to find their ride gone in 2024. The bad news is that it's easier to steal cars with keyless features than it is to steal traditional keyed cars. 

A common method thieves use to gain access to keyless cars is called a relay attack, where one thief stands near the car and a partner stands near the house, where key fobs are often left near exterior doors. The thief then boosts the signal to the car, unlocking it. So, in that example, if the key fob is in a house, and someone can get close enough to get a signal on the fob, then beam that signal across to the car, it'll unlock itself. 

That's the most common way, but there are many other ways to go about stealing a keyless car. For example, a Flipper Zero can be used to unlock cars that have keyless entry as a feature, and that's just one example. You could even become vulnerable if you fit a keyless entry system to your classic car. But these modern vehicles come equipped with remote entry and also happen to top the list of most stolen cars in California, as per data provided by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. 

For the 2025 model year, the Honda Accord has a base MSRP of $28,295 alongside a $1,150 delivery fee, making it quite an affordable car. The standard engine is a four-cylinder unit that displaces 1.5 liters, with a turbocharger, mated to a continuously variable transmission. The powerplant makes 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. Other standard features for the 2025 model year include a rearview camera, stability assist, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and more. 

While all those features make the Honda Accord quite desirable to buyers, there's also another feature that, while convenient, potentially makes it easier to steal. All Accord models come with Honda's Smart Entry system, a major feature of which is keyless entry. It lets users unlock the doors by simply holding the handle while the key fob is nearby. The Smart Entry system also includes a push-to-start feature, and it lets users lock the car once they're done by tapping a button located on the door handle. 

Furthermore, there is also a custom feature called "Walk Away" that does what it says — locks the car if the user walks away and the key fob goes out of range. And this isn't an upgrade option, but standard equipment on all trims and configurations of the Honda Accord, making the model particularly susceptible to theft. As of 2024, no fewer than 5,414 Honda Accords were stolen in California alone, earning the Accord the title of the fifth-most stolen keyless entry vehicle in California that year. 

The Elantra remains a fantastic car in its segment, coming with a host of features that make it a great value purchase. For instance, brake assist, forward collision warnings, lane keep assist, and an 8-inch touchscreen are standard across all trim levels — and the base MSRP is an attractive $22,625, with a $1,195 destination charge. For that money, the base engine is a 2-liter, four-cylinder unit that makes 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque, with an EPA-estimated 36 mpg combined economy. The one major downside (in some people's eyes) is that the Elantra has used a CVT, or Continuously Variable Transmission, since 2020, and it still does on the standard models. 

In certain cases, these transmissions that don't have traditional gear ratios are known to be less reliable than standard cog-and-mesh gearboxes. Coming back to the topic of theft, though, with keyless and remote entry standard on all models, it's not surprising that the Elantra is also among the most-stolen cars in California, ending last year with a whopping 5,618 reported thefts. Furthermore, the Elantra and some other assorted Hyundai and Kia models became almost uninsurable in 2023 thanks to a TikTok trend that had taken over the internet. In fact, the Elantra has come with keyless entry as standard since at least 2006, and, as one of the best-selling cars in the country, it makes sense that it would also be one of the most stolen keyless cars in the entire U.S., including in California.

A genuine icon is next on our list, in the form of the Honda Civic. The latest version has a base price of $24,250 on top of a destination charge for the model, which is $1,150. This standard version ships with a four-cylinder engine that displaces 2.0 liters and is paired to a continuously variable transmission. Together, the powerplant produces a respectable 150 hp at 6,400 RPM alongside 133 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM, and is generally considered to be quite reliable. Further standard features on the newest model include automatic climate control, a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. 

It's also pretty loaded from a safety and driver-assistance technology point of view, coming with lane keep assist, traffic jam assist, and adaptive cruise control systems as standard on all trims. On the Civic, keyless entry has been around for a while, though until 2011, it wasn't standard on all trims, as the base DX-level trim didn't include the system. From 2012 onwards (for the 2013 model year), the DX trim was dropped entirely, and in that year, all trim levels got Honda's remote entry system as standard. Being a major commercial success, the Civic has been sold by the millions in the U.S., and remote entry is still listed as standard on all trims for the latest model year. Therefore, it's no surprise that it is also one of the most-nicked cars with keyless entry in California, ending 2024 with an eye-watering 5,804 units stolen that year.

The Japanese and Korean automakers are absolutely dominating this list, as the next car is the Hyundai Sonata. The newest model's base trim comes with a four-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine mated to an eight-speed transmission that produces 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. Standard features on the newest Sonata include high beam assist, cruise control, stability assist, and more — pretty good for a car with a $26,900 MSRP ($1,150 delivery fee)

This one is unique in the fact that it has given buyers a remote keyless entry system as standard on all trims since at least 2002. For the 2009 redesign, the remote system was still present, and in recent years, a more advanced digital key fob became a unique feature of the Sonata. This digital keyless entry system allows Sonata owners to enter, start, and lock their car without needing the key fob at all, instead controlling those aspects through a smartphone app.

Following the trend we've established so far, the Sonata sold plenty of units in North America over the past two decades, meaning that a fair number of them were available to be scooped up by car thieves. To be exact, 5,865 Hyundai Sonatas were stolen throughout 2024, which might not sound like much, but that is an average of about 16 per day — and remember, this data is for California alone.

The latest base version of the Silverado 1500 comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-liter engine that makes a total of 310 hp. This powerplant is paired to an eight-speed transmission that sends power to the rear wheels . Standard features on the base trim include a 7-inch infotainment system, wireless Android Auto, wireless Apple CarPlay, stability assist, lane keep assist, a post-collision safety system, and keyless doors. The Silverado 1500 and its higher-grade cousin, the GMC Sierra 1500, are both currently available in regular, crew, and double-cab variants, with two bed lengths as well. 

For the 2025 model year, the base MSRP on the entry-level WT trim Silverado 1500 is a borderline extortionate $37,000, and that's before tacking on a destination charge of $2,195, the minimum take-home price for the cheapest new Silverado to $39,195. Maybe its pricing is a sign of its desirability, because the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 holds no fewer than three unwanted distinctions on our list. 

The Silverado is the only American brand in the top five, in addition to being the only pickup truck. It's the only vehicle in California to surpass the 6,000 units stolen mark in 2024, becoming the most-stolen car in California that year, with a whopping 6,248 Silverado 1500s acquired by thieves, which works out to about 17 each day.