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 Temaniimmediately dialled 911. Buthe wasn't happy with the response from police, who saidit 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.Temaniused 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 vehiclebehind 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 hisSUVs.

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-upsecurity 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 lockinstalled instead.

That's when things went sour. Shortly after the anti-theft device was installed, theSUV's ignition stopped working. Levine had it towed to the dealershipwhere 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 pocketand 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

11 months ago

Duration 1:00

Mitchell Levines 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. Its 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,quit 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 weretheHonda CR-V, which wasalso the most commonly stolen vehicle in Canada, theLexus RX Series and theDodge RAM 1500 Series.

The organization said organized crime is fuelling thewave 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 stolenvehicles 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 neworganized crime and auto theft task forceled by the Ontario Provincial Police.

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

CBC tracks stolen vehicle to West Africa

Our colleagues atMarketplace, 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 stolencar in Africa':

CBC finds Toronto man's stolen car in West Africa

12 months 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.