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11 cars whose drivers rack up the most DUIs, tickets and wrecks, led by a Buick

Insurance data can reveal how driver behavior clusters around certain models. One analyst drew on its application data to find vehicles whose owners carry the most drunk driving citations, speeding tickets or prior crashes. Here are eleven models that stood out, with a note that the figures describe drivers and not the cars.

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1. Buick Envista: Highest DUI Rate Anywhere

Buick Envista — Image Credit: HJUdall - CC0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: HJUdall – CC0/Wiki Commons

In its review of 2024 records, Insurify’s DUI ranking found 72.1 of every 1,000 drivers of this small SUV had a drunk driving conviction on file, the highest of any model and far above the 6.4 national rate.

The statistic describes who buys the car, and not how the vehicle behaves. Insurers use patterns like this to price policies, so a model with a risky owner profile can cost more to cover. Buyers may see the figure and assume the car attracts trouble, but analysts caution that income, age and location also shape which models end up with certain owner groups.

2. Buick Encore GX: Runner-Up On DUIs

Buick Encore GX — Image Credit: Jengtingchen - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Jengtingchen – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

Buick’s other compact crossover came in just behind, since the same DUI study from Insurify put it at 58.7 citations per 1,000 drivers, the second-highest share of any model.

Two models from one brand at the top suggests the audience, probably younger and budget-minded buyers, matters more than any trait of the vehicle. Rates this high still deserve attention from anyone shopping for coverage. Rates this high are worth noting for insurers and families, and the broader takeaway is that a record of drunk driving follows a driver, whatever vehicle happens to be parked in the driveway.

3. Chevrolet Bolt EV: Quiet Car, Louder Warning

Chevrolet Bolt EV — Image Credit: Gregory Varnum - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons.
Image Credit: Gregory Varnum – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons.

Chevrolet’s compact hatchback ranked third at 40.6 DUIs per 1,000 drivers, and the analyst warned in its drunk-driving findings that driving an electric car while impaired is especially dangerous because the vehicle is so quiet.

Low noise gives pedestrians and cyclists less warning, which raises the stakes of any impaired trip. The advice is simple and applies to every vehicle: arrange a ride before the first drink. Many ride-hailing and sober-driver options now exist, so the practical message hardly changes with the vehicle, whether the car is electric, gas-powered or a hybrid.

4. Jaguar XF: Luxury Sedan, Risky Profile

Jaguar XF — Image Credit: Retired electrician - CC0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Retired electrician – CC0/Wiki Commons

Few premium models make this ranking, yet the Insurify analysis reports 27.5 DUIs per 1,000 drivers for this British sedan, and says its owners are 4.3 times more likely than average to drink and drive.

A multiple like that tells insurers that a prestige badge is not a guarantee of cautious ownership. Buyers of older luxury cars often pay less up front and more later, including at renewal. Even so, individual owners vary widely, and plenty of careful drivers own the same model, so the statistic is better read as a pattern across a population than as a prediction.

5. Subaru BRZ: Speeding Ticket Leader

Subaru BRZ — Image Credit: Alexander-93 - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Alexander-93 – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

Among drivers of this small rear-drive coupe, Insurify’s speeding study found 23.9 percent held at least one speeding ticket, first in the 2024 ranking and about triple the 8.3 percent average across all models.

Enthusiast sports coupes attract people who enjoy driving briskly, and the citations follow. For a young buyer, the practical lesson is that a tempting car can quietly raise insurance premiums. The comparison with the all-model average is useful because it shows the gap in plain terms, and a gap that large is the reason insurers pay close attention to speeding history.

6. Hyundai Genesis Coupe: Old Coupe, Heavy Right Foot

Hyundai Genesis Coupe — Image Credit: HJUdall - CC0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: HJUdall – CC0/Wiki Commons

This discontinued Korean sports coupe sits second on the ticket list, with a speeding tickets ranking showing 21.9 percent of its drivers carrying at least one citation.

Used performance cars often pass through several owners, so the figure may reflect a long history of spirited driving. Insurance quotes for such cars can run high even when the purchase price looks modest. Tickets cost money twice, once at the courthouse and again when a renewal arrives, so frequent offenders may find a used performance coupe more expensive to own than its price suggests.

7. Volkswagen GTI: Hot Hatch Habit

Volkswagen GTI — Image Credit: Ethan Llamas - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Ethan Llamas – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

Compact performance hatchbacks are a classic ticket magnet, and Insurify’s ticket data puts this one third at 18.8 percent of drivers with a speeding ticket on record.

A hatchback lets owners combine daily practicality with real speed, which explains part of the appeal. It also explains why a sensible-looking car can end up with a rate surcharge on the policy. Shoppers can compare quotes before buying, and many insurers also offer discounts for telematics programs that reward steady, lawful driving with lower monthly payments.

8. Nissan 350Z: Sports Coupe From Earlier Era

Nissan 350Z — Image Credit: Jeremy from Sydney, Australia - CC BY 2.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Jeremy from Sydney, Australia – CC BY 2.0/Wiki Commons

Japan’s rear-drive coupe from the early 2000s ranks fifth, since the speeding analysis shows 17.6 percent of its drivers had at least one speeding ticket.

Cheap used examples draw younger buyers who may be new to powerful cars. That mix of inexperience and enthusiasm is the kind of pattern underwriters examine when they set premiums. Because the data counts drivers with at least one ticket, it captures a broad group instead of only the worst offenders, which makes it a fair guide to overall driving culture around a model.

9. Audi S4: Most Prior Accidents

Audi S4 — Image Credit: Vauxford - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Vauxford – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

Turning to crashes, an Insurify accident study ranks this sporty sedan first among 573 models in 2023, with 11.7 percent of drivers having a prior accident, against a 7.6 percent national average.

A gap of several points can lift quotes noticeably. As with the other lists, the data reflects driver history and does not prove the car is unsafe by design. The prior accident figure is a record of past claims and citations, so it follows the driver and not the car, and it matters most for buyers comparing used examples with unknown histories.

10. Chevrolet Volt: Hybrid With A Crash Record

Chevrolet Volt — Image Credit: IFCAR - Public domain/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: IFCAR – Public domain/Wiki Commons

General Motors’ plug-in hatchback ranks third for prior accidents, as the accident ranking lists 11.0 percent of its drivers with a prior crash on record in the 2023 analysis.

A fuel-sipping commuter car is not the obvious home for a bad crash record. The result hints that heavy commuting, and not reckless driving alone, may raise exposure to collisions. Researchers stress that correlation is not cause, and the model may simply attract drivers with long commutes or dense city routes, where fender benders occur more often.

11. Toyota GR86: Newest Name On The List

Toyota GR86 — Image Credit: Elise240SX - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Elise240SX – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

Toyota’s affordable rear-drive coupe closes the list, and Insurify’s 2023 data shows 10.8 percent of its drivers with a prior accident, still well above the 7.6 percent national average.

Shoppers drawn to a lively, low-cost coupe should price insurance before buying. Taking an advanced driving course is one way owners can offset a rating profile that starts out expensive. Insurers weigh many factors beyond the model, including age, credit-based scores where allowed, and location, so the practical impact on any single buyer can vary a lot.

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