Car theft in Tulsa: the numbers, the targets, and how to protect your car

How many cars are stolen in Tulsa each year?

Tulsa Police's yearly vehicle theft count shows up in two public records: the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation's annual Crime in Oklahoma report, and the FBI's Crime Data Explorer. OSBI's reports through 2020 print a motor vehicle theft figure for each police department. From 2021 on, they sort each department's crimes into three broad groups, so the FBI's monthly counts fill those years.

The two records agree. For 2017 through 2020, TPD's twelve monthly FBI figures add up to exactly the totals OSBI printed, and the rows for 2021 through 2025 are built the same way.

Year	Vehicle thefts, Tulsa Police	Where the figure comes from
2017	3,460	OSBI, Crime in Oklahoma 2019
2018	3,259	OSBI, Crime in Oklahoma 2019
2019	3,033	OSBI, Crime in Oklahoma 2019
2020	3,904	OSBI, Crime in Oklahoma 2020
2021	4,276	FBI, twelve monthly counts added
2022	3,180	FBI, twelve monthly counts added
2023	2,368	FBI, twelve monthly counts added
2024	1,993	FBI, twelve monthly counts added
2025	1,659	FBI, twelve monthly counts added

The count peaked at 4,276 in 2021 and has dropped every year since. The 2025 total, 1,659, is less than half the 2021 figure and the lowest in the table. One caution when you compare the two halves: TPD's agency record at the FBI shows it moved to NIBRS, the FBI's incident-based reporting system, on January 1, 2021.

Across Oklahoma, OSBI counted 12,649 motor vehicle thefts in 2022, 10,831 in 2023 and 9,256 in 2024. Its tally includes failed tries, in OSBI's words: “Motor Vehicle Theft is counted by the number of attempted Motor Vehicle Thefts plus the number of unique motor vehicles stolen.” Nationally, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reports 659,880 vehicles stolen in 2025, 23% fewer than in 2024.

Source: OSBI, Crime in Oklahoma 2024 (PDF), Table 3 and counting rules; OSBI, Crime in Oklahoma 2019 (PDF), Table 24, Tulsa Police Department; OSBI, Crime in Oklahoma 2020 (PDF), Table 24, Tulsa Police Department; FBI Crime Data Explorer, Tulsa Police Department (ORI OK0720500), motor vehicle theft by month, 2017-2025; FBI Crime Data Explorer, Oklahoma agency list (TPD NIBRS start date); NICB, U.S. Vehicle Thefts Experience Historic Decline (March 18, 2026).

Where Tulsa ranks among U.S. metro areas

NICB, an insurance-industry group, ranks metro areas by thefts per 100,000 residents in its Hot Spots report. The edition it released on October 25, 2023 ranks 390 metro areas for 2020, 2021 and 2022. These figures cover the whole Tulsa metropolitan statistical area, not only the city, so they do not match the city counts above.

Year	Thefts, Tulsa metro area	Thefts per 100,000 residents	Rank of 390 metro areas
2020	5,553	551.76	10th
2021	5,351	522.56	15th
2022	4,314	417.17	47th

Tulsa dropped from 10th to 47th in two years. For comparison, the Oklahoma City metro area ranked 114th in 2022, at 285.12 thefts per 100,000 residents. NICB's 2025 release names only the ten metro areas with the most thefts, and Tulsa is not among them.

Source: NICB, Hot Spots Report Shows Vehicle Theft Rates Spiking in Different Regions of the U.S. (October 25, 2023); NICB, Hot Spots data: thefts by metro area, 2020-2022 (Excel file); NICB, 2025 top 10 metro areas by total thefts.

The vehicles stolen most in Oklahoma

NICB's 2022 Vehicle Theft Data file ranks the ten most-stolen vehicles in each state. Its releases for 2024 and 2025 rank models nationally only. Oklahoma's 2022 list:

Rank	Vehicle	Most-stolen model year	Thefts
1	Chevrolet pickup (full size)	2005/2004	1,150
2	Ford pickup (full size)	2004	873
3	Dodge pickup (full size)	2002	307
4	Honda Accord	1997	200
5	Chevrolet Tahoe	2002	195
6	Honda Civic	2000	182
7	Ram pickup (full size)	2015	161
8	Nissan Altima	2015	147
9	Chevrolet Malibu	2013	144
10	Chevrolet Impala	2007	116

Four of the ten are full-size pickups. For seven of the ten, the model year thieves took most often is 2007 or older, so an aging pickup fits the profile this list describes.

The national ranking for 2025 looks different. NICB's list is led by the Hyundai Elantra with 21,732 thefts, the Honda Accord with 17,797 and the Hyundai Sonata with 17,687. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is fourth at 16,764.

Source: NICB, 2022 Vehicle Theft Data, top 10 by state (PDF); NICB, most stolen vehicles in 2025; NICB, Vehicle Thefts in United States Fell 17% in 2024.

Kia and Hyundai thefts, and the free fix

Millions of Hyundai and Kia cars with a turn-key ignition were built without an engine immobilizer, and a way to start them spread on social media. On February 14, 2023, NHTSA announced that both makers would provide theft-deterrent software free of charge, covering about 3.8 million Hyundais and 4.5 million Kias. NHTSA tied the TikTok challenge behind the thefts to at least 14 reported crashes and eight deaths.

The update stretches the alarm from 30 seconds to one minute and makes the car refuse to start unless the key is in the ignition. Both makers say the protection arms only when you lock the doors with the key fob. Hyundai's site now states, “All of the nearly 4 million vehicles involved are now eligible to receive the software upgrade.” Its list spans the 2011 to 2022 model years and includes the Elantra, Sonata, Tucson and Santa Fe.

• Hyundai owners: check your VIN on Hyundai's anti-theft site or call 800-633-5151. If the car has no immobilizer or cannot take the upgrade, Hyundai says your dealer will hand you a free steering wheel lock. It suggests calling ahead to make sure one is in stock.
• Kia owners: enter the VIN on Kia's anti-theft page or call 800-333-4542. For cars the software cannot help, Kia writes: “For vehicles not eligible for the software upgrade, we have developed an ignition cylinder protector to reinforce the key cylinder sleeve assembly as an additional theft deterrent.” Kia also provides free steering wheel locks to affected owners.
• The zinc sleeve: the multistate settlement site says a zinc-reinforced ignition cylinder protector can be installed at no cost at any authorized Hyundai or Kia dealership. It lists the covered models and its claim rules.

The share is shrinking. NICB counts Hyundai and Kia at 14% of U.S. vehicle thefts in 2025, down from 16% in 2024 and 21% in 2023, and credits the software updates and other prevention steps. Hyundai says engine immobilizers are standard on all its vehicles built since November 2021.

Source: NHTSA, Hyundai and Kia Launch Service Campaign to Prevent Theft (February 14, 2023); Hyundai, anti-theft software upgrade and affected vehicles; Kia America, anti-theft support actions; Hyundai and Kia multistate immobilizer settlement; NICB, Hyundai and Kia share of 2025 thefts.

How to make your car harder to steal

NICB recommends a layered approach: free habits first, then devices that slow a thief down or help police find the car. NHTSA's theft page groups devices along similar lines.

Layer 1: habits that cost nothing

• Lock the doors and roll up the windows every time. NICB says some thieves walk parking lots and driveways testing door handles.
• Take the key or fob with you, and never leave the car running while you step away.
• Park in a well-lit spot when you have the choice, and keep valuables out of sight.

An idling, empty car is also a traffic law problem. Under 47 O.S. § 11-1101, a driver may not let a vehicle stand unattended without first stopping the engine and setting the brake. That applies on any public street or road in Oklahoma, since state law counts every publicly maintained way open to traffic as a highway.

Layer 2: something a thief can see

NHTSA lists steering-wheel locks, horn alarms, theft-deterrent decals, flashing lights and window etching as deterrents. NICB adds that many insurers discount anti-theft devices, and some discount a VIN etched into the windows. Ask your insurer which ones count before you buy.

Layer 3: something that stops the engine

An immobilizer keeps a thief from bypassing the ignition. NHTSA describes chips in the key and systems that cut electricity or fuel to the engine, and NICB includes kill switches among the devices worth considering. On an older Hyundai or Kia, the software update and zinc sleeve above are the makers' answer.

Layer 4: something that helps find it

NICB suggests a hidden aftermarket GPS tracker or tracking tag. NHTSA calls these recovery systems: they help police locate a stolen car.

Check your policy as well. The Oklahoma Insurance Department puts it bluntly: “Not all coverage types include theft.” Theft falls under comprehensive coverage, not collision. The insurance guide covers Oklahoma's minimum coverage rules, and the catalytic converter page covers thieves who take parts instead of the whole car.

Source: NICB, Prevent Vehicle Theft; NHTSA, Vehicle Theft Prevention; Oklahoma Statutes, Title 47 (PDF), sections 1-122 and 11-1101; NICB, prevention tips (March 18, 2026); Oklahoma Insurance Department, Essential Vehicle Theft Prevention Tips (July 29, 2025).

Write down your VIN and plate number now

A theft report asks for details that are hard to recall when the driveway is empty. NHTSA says police may want the plate number, the make, model and color, and the VIN with any identifying marks. The Oklahoma Insurance Department tells victims to give police “as much information as possible, such as the make, model, color, license plate number and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).”

• Photograph the VIN on the driver's side corner of the dashboard and inside the driver's door, the two spots Kia's page names. Your registration and insurance papers carry it too.
• Keep those photos, the plate number and pictures of the car's dents, stickers or other marks on your phone or in your email, not only in the glove box.
• Save your insurer's claims phone number and your policy number in the same place.

Speed counts. NICB says reporting a stolen vehicle right away raises the chance of recovery in the first 24 hours by 34%. Tulsa Police's Auto Theft Unit, which follows up on vehicle thefts, also handles “inspecting, identifying, and investigating vehicles with missing or altered Vehicle Identification Numbers.”

Source: NHTSA, Vehicle Theft Prevention: Where's My Ride?; Oklahoma Insurance Department, Essential Vehicle Theft Prevention Tips; Kia America, where to find your VIN; NICB, If Your Vehicle is Stolen; Tulsa Police, Detective Division: Auto Theft Unit.

If your car is missing

Rule out a tow before anything else. Tulsa Police says cars its officers impound and tow are stored at Allied Towing, 1011 N. Lewis Ave. and the towed and impounded guide covers getting one back. A car with unpaid Tulsa parking tickets can also end up on the City's tow list, and the City says a vehicle on that list may be towed or booted at any time.

If it was not towed, call Tulsa Police at 918-596-9222, or 911 if the theft is happening in front of you. TPD's online report system does not accept stolen vehicles. The stolen car guide walks through the report, your insurer and lender, and what happens when the car turns up.

Source: Tulsa Police, Property FAQs; City of Tulsa, Search the Tow List; Tulsa Police, Make a Police Report.