Stolen Tesla? Why there’s a good chance you’ll get it back

Elon Musk’s Tesla vehicles are apparently a bad target for criminals, new data shows.

Nearly every Tesla vehicle that was stolen since 2011 has since been recovered, according to the FBI’s National Insurance Crime Bureau, as reported by MarketWatch. Between 2011 and May 2018, 112 out of 115 stolen Teslas were returned to their rightful owners.

More than 765,000 vehicles in the U.S. were stolen in 2016 and that number is expected to have jumped by 4.1% last year, according to FBI data. Meanwhile, the overall U.S. vehicle recovery rate in the U.S. in 2016 was 58.4%.

There are a couple of features that make Tesla vehicles difficult for thieves to steal. Vehicle models don't have a traditional key, which the FBI said makes it more difficult for criminals to steal since many thefts occur when people leave their keys in the ignition. Owners have also been able to successfully track their vehicle through the Tesla app, according to auto site Electrek.

Last month, Tesla warned owners via email about so-called relay attacks, which allow criminals to essentially hack the vehicle’s passive entry system to gain entry. Users can disable the passive entry feature to prevent these types of attacks.

Tesla theft attempts are likely to become more common as the vehicle becomes more widely available. The company reached a production rate of 5,000 vehicles per week for its Model 3 sedan at the end of the second quarter, and the automaker is expecting the ramp up to continue.