The San Diego Sheriff’s Office is reminding drivers to take extra precautions to protect their vehicles, even as overall auto thefts decline across the region. Officials said thieves continue to target specific makes and models, especially trucks and off-road-style vehicles. According to San Di ego police data, 4,261 vehicles were reported stolen citywide in 2025. That is down from 5,447 thefts in 2024, representing a 22% decrease year over year. Despite the overall drop, thefts involving certain vehicles have increased. Toyota Tacomas reported stolen rose from 35 in 2024 to 64 in 2025. Newer Jeeps, defined as model years 2020 to 2025, increased from 93 thefts last year to 146 so far this year. San Diego sheriff’s Detective Stephen Kitcko said thieves are active throughout the county and often strike overnight. “They do happen during the day, but a lot of these do happen in the middle of the night,” Kitcko said. Kitcko said thieves are not focused on luxury vehicles. Instead, they are targeting more common models with specific features. “It’s Toyotas, Tundras, off-roading vehicles,” Kitcko said. The sheriff’s office said vehicles with lift packages, spoilers and other off-road features are especially appealing to thieves. “Pretty much anything like an off-road vehicle would have,” Kitcko said. Officials also said vehicles with push-button start systems are easier targets. Kitcko said the sheriff’s office cannot point to a specific group behind the thefts. “It’s a variety of people,” Kitcko said. “There’s no one specific group.” While thefts of some vehicles increased, others declined. Hyundai thefts dropped from 507 in 2024 to 304 in 2025, while Kia thefts fell from 445 last year to 315 so far this year. Sheriff’s officials are encouraging drivers to add multiple layers of protection, including steering wheel locks, hood locks and alarm systems. They also recommend hiding a tracking device inside the vehicle. “We want to be able to track the vehicle,” Kitcko said. A sheriff’s captain said deputies saw a series of thefts last year and noticed numbers beginning to rise again this year, prompting the renewed warning. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less