Insurers put the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’s theft rate at 3,949 where the average car scores 100

Insurance analysts have pegged the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’s whole-vehicle theft claim frequency at 3,949 on an index where 100 represents the average passenger vehicle, the worst score of any vehicle in a new theft report from the Highway Loss Data Institute. That figure, drawn from model years 2022 through 2024, makes the ZL1 nearly 40 times more likely to generate a theft claim than a typical car on the road today. The standard Camaro, without the ZL1’s extra horsepower, still posted a relative claim frequency roughly 13 times the average.

Both variants of the Camaro placed among the five most-stolen vehicles of their model years in HLDI’s analysis, a distinction that puts a Chevrolet muscle car ahead of pickup trucks and full-size SUVs that are typically stolen more often in raw numbers, if not on a per-vehicle-registered basis. HLDI followed that top-line ranking with a separate, deeper analysis of Camaro theft claims stretching back across model years 2010 through 2024, tracking whether the pattern is a recent spike or a standing feature of the nameplate.

A relative claim frequency, not a raw theft count

HLDI’s index does not count how many Camaros were stolen; it measures theft insurance claims against how many of that model are actually registered and insured, then compares the result to the average across all passenger vehicles. That relative approach is why a niche performance model with a comparatively small production run can post a worse score than common sedans and trucks that get stolen far more often in absolute terms. A widely produced family sedan might generate more total theft claims nationwide simply because millions of them are on the road, yet still score far below 100 on HLDI’s index because thefts stay rare relative to how many exist.

To isolate genuine whole-vehicle thefts from stolen parts or contents, HLDI cross-references the dollar value of theft claims against what insurers pay out when the same models are totaled in ordinary crashes, filtering out claims too small to represent an entire missing vehicle. Most theft claims filed with insurers do not specify whether a car vanished entirely or lost only a catalytic converter or stereo, which is exactly the ambiguity this cross-referencing step is designed to resolve.

Horsepower as bait, according to HLDI’s insurance chief

Matt Moore, chief insurance operations officer at the Highway Loss Data Institute, told the trade outlet FenderBender that muscle cars have long topped the theft rankings because thieves are drawn to high-horsepower vehicles. Moore said that dynamic also explains the gap between the two Camaro trims: the pricier, more powerful ZL1 draws far more theft claims than the standard car wearing the same badge.

A technical vulnerability appears to be compounding that appeal. News reports cited in HLDI’s research describe thieves cloning a Camaro’s key fob by tapping into the onboard diagnostic port that technicians normally use to check emissions and fuel economy data, a workaround that does not require ever touching the owner’s actual key. Because that port exists on nearly every Camaro built for on-board diagnostics compliance, the vulnerability is not something an individual owner can easily retrofit away without dealer-level intervention.

Electric models sit at the opposite end of the list

At the far end of HLDI’s ranking, electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles dominate the least-stolen list. Eight all-electric models and two plug-in hybrids posted theft claim frequencies more than 85 percent below the all-vehicle average. HLDI’s researchers have attributed that pattern in past studies to charging logistics: electric vehicle owners tend to park at home or near dedicated charging equipment rather than on the street, which limits a thief’s opportunity regardless of how quick the car is.

HLDI’s full report lists pickup trucks and other high-horsepower, high-value models filling out most of the remaining spots in the top 20, reinforcing that raw performance and resale value are the strongest predictors of where a model lands on the list, more so than vehicle age or manufacturer. The 20 least-stolen vehicles sit on the opposite side of a fairly stark divide, all with theft claim frequencies more than 85 percent below the all-vehicle average, which means the gap between the safest and riskiest models on HLDI’s list runs well beyond a simple best-to-worst spread.

Two Camaros, one nameplate, very different risk

The split between the ZL1’s 3,949 score and the standard Camaro’s far lower, though still elevated, claim frequency illustrates how granular HLDI’s data can get within a single model line. Two cars sharing a badge, a factory, and most of their sheet metal can carry dramatically different insurance risk once one of them adds the horsepower and price tag that makes it worth stealing.

For owners, that gap can translate directly into premiums: insurers price theft coverage off exactly this kind of claim-frequency data, meaning a ZL1 buyer is underwriting a statistically documented target well before the car ever leaves the dealer lot. A standard Camaro buyer faces a smaller version of the same math, still elevated well above the industry average but nowhere near the ZL1’s outlier score.

This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.

More from Morning Overview