(TND) — A pair of muscle cars top the list of most-stolen vehicles for model years 2020-22, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute.

Theft claims for the top car, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, were more than 60 times more frequent than the average for all 2020-22 models, the HLDI said.

The list features vehicles that are valuable and powerful, HLDI’s director of insurance outreach Kay Wakeman said.

“That's reflected in the top two vehicles on the list,” she said.

The list also features cars that are comparatively easier to steal, she said.

Four Kia models rank high, targeted by thieves who appear to be exploiting their lack of anti-theft immobilizers.

Immobilizers – a device that prevents the engine from starting if the matching, properly coded key fob isn't detected – were standard on 96% of other manufacturers’ vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2015, but Hyundai and Kia, both from Hyundai Motor Group, didn’t make them standard until about six years later.

These vehicles can be hot-wired and stolen in a matter of minutes, officials have said.

Such thefts have become a viral trend.

The companies are taking steps to address customer concerns, including a free software upgrade for Hyundai vehicles.

The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, Dodge Charger HEMI, Infiniti Q50, Dodge Challenger and Land Rover Range Rover 4WD top the list.

Six electric vehicles are included on the list of vehicles that are least likely to be stolen.

“Electric vehicles need to be charged regularly, so it's probably safe to assume that at night they're parked in a garage or well-lit place, somewhere where it's less likely to be stolen,” Wakeman said.

This list looks at “whole vehicle” thefts. It doesn’t account for someone stealing just a part of a car, like the wheels or stereo.

And their list uses claim frequencies to figure how likely a particular model is to be stolen.

“Often those lists that are raw counts are just a reflection of the most popular vehicles in the U.S., not how likely a vehicle is to be stolen,” she said.

Theft has been increasing since the start of the pandemic, Wakeman said.

The vehicles at the top of the list “have really separated themselves from the other vehicles on the list,” she said.

And “theft claim frequencies have absolutely been going up,” she added.

They’ve seen an overall increase of about 20% from the 2019-21 grouping.

For this report’s top vehicle, the Charger SRT Hellcat, there were 25 whole-vehicle theft claims per 1,000 insured vehicle years.

That was up from about 18 for 2019-21 models.

And the most-stolen 2017-19 model, the Infiniti Q60, had only two thefts per 1,000 insured vehicle years.

Parking in a secure, well-lit area is a good way to lower your risk factors, Wakeman said.

Also, don't leave valuables in your car in plain sight.

That can be very tempting to a would-be thief.

And perhaps the simplest tip is the most important to protect your car.

“Obviously never leave your car keys in the vehicle,” she said. “That again, something that just makes it really easy for thieves to walk away with these.”

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