{"id":816446,"date":"2026-07-21T13:43:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T13:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/816446\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T13:43:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T13:43:32","slug":"vast-majority-of-canadians-feel-their-vehicles-are-vulnerable-to-theft-survey-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/816446\/","title":{"rendered":"Vast majority of Canadians feel their vehicles are vulnerable to theft, survey says"},"content":{"rendered":"

OTTAWA \u2014 Even though vehicle thefts have been trending down across much of the country, the overwhelming majority of Canadians still feel their vehicle\u2019s anti-theft technology isn\u2019t as robust as it should be.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the conclusion of an Angus Reid survey commissioned by \u00c9quit\u00e9 Association, a non-profit anti-fraud group.<\/p>\n

Bryan Gast, \u00c9quit\u00e9\u2019s vice president of investigative services, said the survey\u2019s key finding \u2014 that nearly 80 per cent of Canadians feel their vehicles are or could be vulnerable to thieves \u2014 didn\u2019t surprise him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reality of modern auto theft is that locking your car door is no longer enough. Organized crime has traded crowbars for technology-based theft such as key fob relay attacks and reprogramming to easily bypass a vehicle\u2019s security system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really have to move into the prevention piece, stopping the vehicle from being stolen in the first place, to really have a sustained decline of auto theft in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

An \u00c9quit\u00e9 Association report released in February said that while the number of vehicles stolen in Canada fell sharply in 2025, almost 47,000 thefts were reported that year and more than a third of those were never recovered.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the federal government announced a new national action plan to \u201cdisrupt, dismantle and prosecute\u201d the organized crime groups behind auto thefts through tougher criminal penalties, more inspections of shipping containers and better intelligence-sharing.<\/p>\n

The \u00c9quit\u00e9 report from February said that while the strategy appeared to be working, Canadians remain vulnerable to car theft rings and a spike in vehicle finance fraud detected at ports in Montreal and Halifax.<\/p>\n

\u00c9quit\u00e9 Association is calling for robust anti-theft mechanisms to be made standard in every new vehicle.<\/p>\n

The Angus Reid survey suggests 60 per cent of Canadians want government-mandated protections in new vehicles, and 75 per cent feel those technologies are needed.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Gast said, consumers are taking safety measures into their own hands.<\/p>\n

He said he recommends a layered approach to vehicle safety that extends from simple things like parking in garages and keeping the doors locked to installing immobilizers and trackers.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything that you can do to make your vehicle less of a target takes more time for the criminals to steal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u00c9quit\u00e9\u2019s February report said Quebec saw the largest reduction in auto thefts in 2025 \u2014 25 per cent \u2014 followed by Ontario at 22 per cent and Western Canada at 11 per cent.<\/p>\n

Atlantic Canada saw the smallest reduction \u2014 just two per cent. <\/p>\n

While the number of thefts dropped, the rate of recovery for stolen vehicles remains low, the report found, at 59 per cent nationally. The report said that in Ontario and Quebec, only about half of the vehicles stolen are ever recovered.<\/p>\n

The report said the missing stolen vehicles have likely been exported or dismantled in \u201cchop shops.\u201d<\/p>\n

At 71 per cent, Alberta\u2019s rate of stolen vehicle recovery tops those of Quebec and Ontario \u2014 but the province continues to serve as a \u201cfeeder province\u201d where stolen vehicles from other regions are registered, the report said.<\/p>\n

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2026.<\/p>\n

Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

Add CityNews Ottawa as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n

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