Greenville County recorded 1,196 motor vehicle theft reports in 2025, ranking third among South Carolina counties, while the Honda Accord again led the state's list of most frequently stolen vehicles. The figures came as vehicle thefts declined statewide during the first half of 2025 and national thefts continued a steep decline.
The Greenville News reported that the Accord topped South Carolina's stolen-vehicle rankings in 2025, after holding the same position in 2024. The sedan also led the state's list during the first half of 2026. Nationally, the Accord ranked second among the most-stolen vehicle models in 2025, with 17,797 reported thefts, behind the Hyundai Elantra's 21,732 and just ahead of the Hyundai Sonata's 17,687, according to Greenville News.
Why Thieves Keep Targeting the Accord
Honda vehicles can be attractive targets because their parts are in demand and the cars are common enough to blend into everyday traffic, according to the Greenville News report. A Fairmount theft spree earlier this year involving Accords and Civics also illustrated how diagnostic-port key reprogramming can be used in vehicle thefts, as reported by Hoodline.
The trend also reflects a broader shift in what fuels vehicle theft nationally. Hyundai and Kia models accounted for 14% of all U.S. vehicle thefts in 2025, down from 16% in 2024 and 21% in 2023, as automakers rolled out software anti-theft upgrades and other theft-prevention measures following the viral ignition exploits that once made those brands a top target, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Other theft techniques include parts harvesting and keyless electronic exploits.
How Thieves Are Bypassing Vehicle Protections
The methods documented in recent Greenville County cases include both key reprogramming and electronic attacks. In a separate April 20, 2026 report, FOX Carolina said deputies warned that thieves were using devices to amplify key-fob signals from inside homes so vehicles would recognize the keys as nearby. Honda says its immobilizer system uses an electronically coded ignition key and allows the fuel-injection system and ignition circuitry to activate only when that code is recognized, according to the Honda Information Center. That manufacturer description addresses the vehicle's built-in protection, while the Greenville County warning shows why owners should also secure key fobs inside their homes.
South Carolina's Numbers Keep Falling
South Carolina recorded 5,025 vehicle thefts during the first six months of 2025, a 21% decline from the 6,387 thefts reported over the same period in 2024, per Greenville News. That drop placed the state 19th nationally for vehicle thefts during that stretch, with roughly 91.72 thefts per 100,000 residents. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division also published a 2024 annual crime report, according to SLED.
Within South Carolina, Greenville County's 1,196 reported thefts in 2025 put it behind only the two largest counties for total incidents, according to Greenville News. Spartanburg County recorded 642 motor vehicle theft reports, while Anderson County logged 482 — a county that has seen its own high-profile case this month, with Hoodline reporting on the Pelzer work truck theft investigation. Nationally, vehicle thefts totaled 659,880 in 2025, a 23% decrease from 2024, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, marking the second consecutive year of double-digit declines after thefts peaked in 2023.
What South Carolina Law Says About Theft Charges
South Carolina Code § 16-13-30 addresses larceny offenses. Breaking into a vehicle with intent to steal it or items inside it is a separate felony under Code § 16-13-160, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Break-Ins Fuel a Separate Firearm Problem
Auto theft in South Carolina carries a public safety consequence beyond the missing car itself. That is why officials keep pressing drivers not to leave anything valuable behind.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Greenville County Sheriff's Office advise drivers to park in well-lit areas, remove valuables and firearms, and lock vehicles even when they are parked at home, per Greenville News. They also recommend using a wireless or GPS tracking system, avoiding unattended idling and keeping the vehicle title out of the car.
Vehicle theft affects a variety of models.
