Vast Majority of Canadians See Their Vehicles as Theft Targets: Survey

Most Canadians say their vehicles’ anti-theft measures are not as effective as they should be, a new survey suggests.

Only 18 percent of Canadians surveyed last month said vehicles sold today can withstand modern technology-based theft tactics and 72 percent said they want more security protections built-in to their vehicles, according to an online survey performed by Angus Reid for Équité Association from June 1 to 8.

The findings released by Équité Association, a non-profit anti-fraud group, are part of its 2026 Canadian auto theft impact survey.

“The progress we have made in combatting auto theft proves that coordinated action works; however, our communities are justifiably concerned about public safety and evolving criminal tactics,” Équité national vice-president of intelligence and investigations Bryan Gast said in a press release. “Canadians are telling us clearly that they feel security protections should be built into their vehicles, not sold to them as an after-market add-on.”

National auto theft has decreased by 33 percent since 2023 due to law enforcement crackdowns as part of the federal government’s National Action Plan to Combat Auto Theft, Équité said in its report on the survey results.

Canadians recognize the battle against auto theft is ongoing, however, the report said.

Fifty-five percent of participants pointed to the evolving tactics of organized crime, and 66 percent said meaningful progress requires a united approach involving governments, manufacturers, law enforcement, and vehicle owners, up from 61 percent in the 2023 survey.

“The reality of modern auto theft is that locking your car door is no longer enough. Organized crime has traded crowbars for technology-based theft such as key fob relay attacks and reprogramming to easily bypass a vehicle’s security system,” Gast said.

He noted that 64 percent of those polled worry about becoming a victim and expressed concern not just for their vehicles but for the safety of their families.

Nearly 47,000 vehicles were stolen in 2025, and more than a third of those were never recovered, according to an Équité Association report released in February.

Ottawa announced a national action plan in 2024 to “disrupt, dismantle and prosecute” the organized crime groups orchestrating auto thefts through tougher criminal penalties, increased inspections of shipping containers, and better intelligence-sharing.

The February Équité report indicated that while the strategy seems to be yielding results, Canadians continue to be at risk from car theft rings and an increase in vehicle finance fraud identified at the ports of Montreal and Halifax.

Gast said Équité is calling for strong anti-theft mechanisms to be made standard in all new vehicles.

“Canadians deserve protection and vehicle owners cannot solve this complex problem on their own,” he said.

Gast said owners can help protect their vehicles by making them harder to steal. Even simple steps like parking in garages, keeping the doors locked, and installing immobilizers and trackers can make a difference, he said.

Équité’s February report indicated that Quebec experienced the biggest drop in auto thefts in 2025, with a reduction of 25 percent, followed by Ontario at 22 percent, and Western Canada at 11 percent. Atlantic Canada saw the smallest reduction at just 2 percent.

Although the incidence of thefts has decreased, the national recovery rate for stolen vehicles remains low at 59 percent, according to the report. Only around 50 percent of stolen vehicles are recovered in Ontario and Quebec, it added.

The report suggests unrecovered stolen vehicles have probably been exported or dismantled in so-called “chop shops.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.