Car Theft Drops 20% Year-to-Date, But Third Quarter Sees Rise

Vehicle thefts and attempted thefts in Israel have decreased by 20% since the beginning of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to data from the vehicle tracking company Pointer. However, the third quarter of the year saw a 4% increase in thefts compared to the third quarter of 2025.

While there has been a decrease in attempted thefts of hybrid vehicles, there has been a corresponding rise in the proportion of electric vehicles among all attempted and completed thefts. Tel Aviv and Petah Tikva were the leading cities for attempted car thefts in the third quarter, each accounting for 17% of all attempts.

Pointer, which operates the operational array for the Powerfleet group specializing in locating and recovering stolen vehicles, reported that SUVs and crossovers continue to be the primary targets for car thieves, making up 30% of attempted thefts in the third quarter, a slight decrease from their previous 35% share. The two-wheeled vehicle category remains significant, constituting approximately 25% of all vehicle theft attempts since the start of the year, indicating their frequent use as a quick escape method from crime scenes.

The most common theft method remains the duplication of a "golem" key, which involves connecting to the OBD port to access the vehicle's computer system.