Canada auto theft survey finds vehicle security concerns despite theft decline

A recent survey by the Équité Association, conducted with Angus Reid of 2,503 Canadians, shows that auto theft in Canada fell about 33 percent since 2023, with roughly 47,000 vehicles reported stolen in 2025. Yet only 18 percent of respondents believe new vehicles can resist modern key‑fob attacks, and 64 percent worry their cars could be stolen.

Bryan Gast, Équité’s national vice‑president of intelligence, said, “The decline is reflective of the efforts that have gone into place, but … all of that is reactionary. Vehicles are still being stolen. To move to prevention, we need the vehicles to be harder to steal in the first place.”

Seventy‑two percent of Canadians want advanced anti‑theft technology built into vehicles during production, while 60 percent favor government‑mandated standards. The survey also notes regional differences: Quebec saw the biggest theft reduction (‑25 percent), Ontario 22 percent, and Atlantic Canada only 2 percent. A 2024 national action plan aims to disrupt organized car‑theft rings through tougher penalties and better intelligence sharing.