Toronto continues to have the highest auto theft claim costs in Ontario but Brampton could be closing the gap, according to a new report.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) recently published data breaking down what cities in Ontario are the costliest for auto theft claims.
As a whole, the IBC says the costs for auto theft claims in the province reached $485 million last year—a significant drop from the $723 million reported in 2024.
The report notes, however, that auto theft remains above historical levels with the number of related claims up 97 per cent since 2017. The cost of these losses have also been staggering, IBC says, up 330 per cent at that same time.
“While IBC applauds the efforts of provincial and municipal governments, law enforcement and insurers in helping to curb the auto theft crisis, there is still more work to be done by all stakeholders,” Amanda Dean, vice-president of the Insurance Bureau of Canada for Ontario and Atlantic, said in a news release.
“Ending auto theft requires a sustained, coordinated and whole-of-society approach.”
Toronto leads larger cities for the total cost of auto theft claims with more than $114 million in claims reported in 2025. This reflects a 253 per cent rise from the total costs reported in Toronto in 2017.
Brampton came in second with more than $43 million in auto theft claim costs in 2025, translating into a 565 per cent rise in these costs from 2017 and 2025.
Mississauga was third on the list with more than $31 million in auto theft claim costs last year. In 2017, the city reported $9,986,857 in claims costs, reflecting a 216 per cent increase over seven years.
These are the top 10 costliest cities in Ontario for auto theft claim costs:
| Rank | City | 2025 auto theft claims costs | 2017 auto theft claims costs | Increase in auto theft claims costs between 2017 and 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | $114,512,629 | $32,474,335 | 253 per cent |
| 2 | Brampton | $43,230,222 | $6,499,751 | 565 per cent |
| 3 | Mississauga | $31,571,336 | $9,986,857 | 216 per cent |
| 4 | Ottawa | $19,840,978 | $4,285,184 | 363 per cent |
| 5 | Hamilton | $19,415,456 | $6,054,175 | 221 per cent |
| 6 | Markham | $17,837,060 | $2,403,756 | 642 per cent |
| 7 | Vaughan | $17,156,566 | $3,642,865 | 371 per cent |
| 8 | Oakville | $12,752,952 | $1,680,582 | 659 per cent |
| 9 | London | $11,696,594 | $3,339,791 | 250 per cent |
| 10 | Richmond Hill | $8,159,317 | $1,019,930 | 700 per cent |
Though the more populated cities see the highest claims costs, IBC says, there have been several small- to mid-sized communities that have seen considerable increases since 2017.
According to IBC’s data, the number of auto theft claims soared the highest in Bowmanville/Clarington, rising by 1,261 per cent in seven years.
Whitchurch-Stoufville follows in second, seeing a 1,014 per cent increase from 2017 to 2025, and then Peterborough in third, with a 987 per cent increase in that same time.
Richmond Hill, Oakville and Markham overlap on both lists.
Here are the top 10 cities who have seen the sharpest increase in auto theft claims costs, from 2017 to 2025:
| Rank | City | Increase in auto theft claims costs between 2017 and 2025 | 2025 auto theft claims costs | 2017 auto theft claims costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bowmanville/Clarington | 1,261 per cent | $2,748,632 | $201,922 |
| 2 | Whitchurch-Stouffville | 1,014 per cent | $1,794,909 | $161,168 |
| 3 | Peterborough | 987 per cent | $2,450,540 | $225,340 |
| 4 | Richmond Hill | 700 per cent | $8,159,317 | $1,019,930 |
| 5 | Barrie | 679 per cent | $7,184,661 | $922,147 |
| 6 | Whitby | 667 per cent | $5,579,873 | $727,631 |
| 7 | Oakville | 659 per cent | $12,752,952 | $1,680,582 |
| 8 | Pickering | 644 per cent | $4,810,021 | $646,403 |
| 9 | Markham | 642 per cent | $17,837,060 | $2,403,756 |
| 10 | Milton | 621 per cent | $6,014,736 | $834,006 |
