CBC Toronto's most-read auto theft stories in 2023

The relentless scourge of auto theft — and how police and the public are trying to tackle it — was a major story across the Greater Toronto Area in 2023.

In Toronto proper, vehicle thefts were up some 25.4 per cent over 2022, with more than 11,765 recorded this year, according to Toronto police's major crimes indicator dashboard. That steep increase followed a 45 per cent jump in 2022 from 2021.

There has also been a rise in violent carjackings, according to multiple Ontario police forces.

CBC Toronto has published a wide breadth of stories on the subject of auto theft, many of them garnering significant interest from readers, viewers and listeners.

Here are some of the most memorable auto theft stories from the year.

Man tracks down father's stolen vehicle

When he discovered his father's 2021 Nissan Rogue had been stolen outside a Goodlife Fitness in Oakville, Rami Temani immediately dialled 911. But he wasn't happy with the response from police, who said it could be hours before officers even arrived to speak with him. So Temani took matters into his own hands.

The London, Ont., woman who allegedly stole the small SUV immediately began racking up hundreds of dollars in charges at nearby gas stations and convenience stores on his mother's credit card, which was stolen along with the vehicle. Temani used transaction information from his mother's digital banking app to drive to each location where the purchases were made.

In under an hour, he found the vehicle behind a gas station just about three kilometres from where it had been stolen.

Halton police weren't thrilled about the situation, however. And they strongly advised against civilians going after car thieves alone.

"You go up to these people that are stealing vehicles, you have no idea who you're going to be dealing with. They may be armed. There may be multiple suspects," a Halton police spokesperson said at the time.

The unlucky Lexus owner

Mitchel Levine had a rough year, at least when it came to his SUVs.

Levine and his wife bought a brand new $75,000 Lexus RX350h in July. After having two vehicles (including another Lexus) stolen in the 16 months prior to the purchase, they decided they wanted beefed-up security features to keep this vehicle out of the hands of thieves. But when the dealership said it couldn't offer any, Levine opted to have an after-market ignition lock installed instead.

That's when things went sour. Shortly after the anti-theft device was installed, the SUV's ignition stopped working. Levine had it towed to the dealership where he was told the repairs would cost around $20,000. But here's the kicker: the dealership also told him that the after-market device voided his warranty — so he'd have to pay out of pocket — and it would need to be removed before any repairs could begin.

Fast forward a few months and the same vehicle was stolen from a TTC parking lot. 

Here's a frustrated Levine in his own words:

This North York man has had three cars stolen in the last year

1 year ago

Duration 1:00

Mitchell Levine’s dealership told him to remove an anti-theft device he installed in his Lexus — but when he did, it was stolen from a TTC parking lot. It’s the third time in the last year Levine and his wife have had a vehicle stolen.

Ontario's top 10 most stolen vehicles

In November, Équité Association, an organization that investigates insurance fraud on behalf of member insurance companies, released its annual list of the most stolen vehicle models in the province.

Topping the list were the Honda CR-V, which was also the most commonly stolen vehicle in Canada, the Lexus RX Series and the Dodge RAM 1500 Series.

The organization said organized crime is fuelling the wave of auto thefts, and that Canada has become a source nation for stolen vehicles that are sold overseas.

In case you're curious, the least stolen vehicles in Ontario were:

• Cadillac XTS.
• Fiat 500.
• Ford/Lincoln Escape/Corsair.
• Buick Verano.
• Chevrolet Impala.
• Buick/Chevrolet Enclave/Traverse.
• Toyota Yaris.
• Volvo XC60.
• Nissan Micra Hatchback.
• Hyundai Kona.

Province strikes police task force

The surge in vehicle thefts has drawn the attention of police forces and the provincial government.

Earlier this year, Ontario's solicitor general announced $51 million for the creation of a new organized crime and auto theft task force led by the Ontario Provincial Police.

The money also went toward a major auto theft prosecution team that is meant to provide dedicated legal support and prosecution support to the OPP when taking complex cases to court.

CBC tracks stolen vehicle to West Africa

Our colleagues at Marketplace, the CBC's consumer-driven investigative program, also reporting on the rise in auto thefts this year. 

That work included finding a vehicle stolen from a Toronto driveway for sale in Ghana.

WATCH | 'We found your stolen car … in Africa':

CBC finds Toronto man's stolen car in West Africa

1 year ago

Duration 2:00

CBC's David Common informs Len Green that his stolen car has been found in Ghana, 8,500 kilometres from Toronto, where it first went missing a year ago.