White is consistently the most popular and "most wanted" car color globally and in the U.S., accounting for over 30% of new vehicle sales, according to Axalta Coating Systems and Kelley Blue Book. It is favored for its modern look, high resale value, and ability to hide minor scratches.
Most Popular Car Colors – iSeeCars.com Study
The team at iSeeCars.com conducted an analysis of over 20 million cars from model years 2004-2023 sold from January 2023 to April 2024 to determine the color distribution. After careful research, the answer is actually black and white.
The least stolen cars are ones with bright colours such as orange, green, yellow, and pink. This is because they're uncommon, easy to notice, and hard to sell. Car thieves tend to go for vehicles in common colours, such as white, grey, and black. This is because they have a higher demand, making them easy to sell.
Black Cars
At least one study found that you're 47 percent more likely to be in a crash if you drive a black vehicle. Other studies also find that black is the most dangerous color, but offer a more reserved projection.
The Hardest Car Brands to Steal (and Why)
According to the National Motorists Association, white-colored vehicles get pulled over the most. That said, red vehicles come in second, followed closely by gray and silver. Unsurprisingly, white cars are stopped by law enforcement because it's the most common vehicle color.
The Legality of a Vantablack Car Is Unclear
Even if there are no restrictions in place, however, Surrey NanoSystems has licensed the artistic use of Vantablack exclusively to painter and sculptor Anish Kapoor. This makes it virtually impossible for members of the public to get their hands on the coating.
The main reason for the notion of certain colours being less stable is based on how our eyes respond to certain colours on the spectrum. White vehicle paint fades at the same rate as black and red colours, but white has no 'pigment' and therefore it is not as noticeable.
Of all the colors, black is considered to be the riskiest choice. Why? Research suggests that black vehicles are involved in accidents much more frequently than other color cars. During the day, black vehicles are associated with about a 12 percent increase in crash risk.
While popular colours like white, black, and silver often maintain higher resale values, unique or rare colours may attract niche buyers willing to pay a premium.
Darker colors like black or navy blue tend to absorb more heat than lighter colors like white or silver due to their higher levels of absorption. This means that lighter colors may be better for those who want to limit their car's temperature during hot months.
The least stolen cars are ones with bright colours such as orange, green, yellow, and pink. This is because they're uncommon, easy to notice, and hard to sell. Car thieves tend to go for vehicles in common colours, such as white, grey, and black. This is because they have a higher demand, making them easy to sell.
Cars that attract police attention most often are typically sporty, modified, or have a reputation for speed, like the Subaru WRX, Dodge Charger/Challenger, Nissan 350Z/370Z, and Volkswagen GTI, often due to drivers being pulled for speeding or aggressive driving, though driver behavior and common colors like white also play significant roles.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), black, silver, white, green and gold are the colors most associated with vehicle thefts. Colors that more easily blend in with a crowd–white, gray, silver and black–tend to be reported stolen the most.
Which cars have the lowest theft rates? Vehicles with advanced security features and lower market desirability tend to have the lowest theft rates. Notable examples include the Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, Volvo XC60, Volvo XC90, and Subaru Ascent.
White cars statistically get pulled over the most because they are the most common vehicle color on the road, followed by red, gray, and silver, but red cars might be ticketed at a higher rate relative to their numbers. While white cars account for the highest total stops due to sheer volume, red cars, often associated with sports cars, are ticketed more often than their percentage of cars on the road would suggest, indicating a disproportionate stop rate.
Tesla, Volvo, and Subaru consistently rank as some of the hardest car brands to steal, thanks to advanced tech like GPS, Sentry Mode (Tesla), and robust factory security, alongside luxury brands like Audi, BMW, and Lexus (e.g., XC90, A6, RX), with some GM models (GMC Acadia) also showing low theft rates due to sophisticated immobilizers and tracking. Generally, modern EVs and well-equipped luxury SUVs are tough targets.