Chevy Camaro ZL1 is 39 times more likely to be stolen than the average car – Jalopnik

The Chevy Camaro ZL1 may look like the ultimate Hot Wheels car, but they are also hot wheels for car thieves. It is at the top of the newest Highway Loss Data Institute Report Of the most stolen cars in America, which says it is 39 times more likely to be stolen than the average car. It is almost twice as much chance to be stolen as second place, the Acura TLX with four -wheel drive. Other versions of the Camaro should not feel excluded because they take third place on the list.

The Camaro is a remarkable exception in the Top 20, the only sports car on a list that is dominated by trucks and SUVs. Similar top-end Ford Mustangs, Dodge Charger Hellcats and even Corvettes do not reach the top 20 at all. What is it about the Camaro in general, and the ZL1 in particular that it makes it so desirable for thieves? It is not only the 650 hp 6.2-liter LT4 V8, or because this car once sent a Jalopnik writer to prison for fast driving. HLDI believes it is because of a security breach that makes the Camaro easier to steal than other cars.

“In the case of Camaro ZL1 it is very desirable for thieves, and moreover there is a vulnerability that makes them relatively easy to steal,” said Matt Moore, Chief Insurance Operations Officer at HLDI, said CBS News. “Because of the vulnerability, with the right knowledge and the right pieces of technology, someone who can get access to the inside of one of these Camaros can steal it relatively easily.”

Keyless Entry is a nice modern convenience, but it has also made cars easier to steal. Thieves can intercept, clones and use important FOB codes to get into a car. Once there they can connect to the OBD2 port, tap a headlight wire or even use Bluetooth speakers to turn on the inflammation and steal the car.

Chevrolet already offers owners from 2020 to 2024 Camaros a free software update to improve security, probably the exploit that thieves use. HLDI says that a similar approach has led to a reduction of 46% in Hyundai and Kia thefts after a dramatic increase. In this case, a software upgrade has added an immobilizing function that these cars were missing when they were built.

According to HLDi, thefts of 2016 and newer Camaros were in 2023 and continued to rise until 2024. Keyless Entry was introduced in 2016, so Camaros was probably much easier to steal when thieves discovered how to hack the system. The goodies of the ZL1 make it an excellent target, but the same keyless input system can be used on all camaros, which would explain why non-ZL1 models are also popular with thieves. It is worth noting that nine of the top 20 stolen vehicles from HLDI GM products are mainly versions of the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra and Cadillac Escalade. Late model Camaro owners must make an appointment with a dealer to get the free software update and hopefully steal these cars more difficult.