Up to four in ten Canadians say it is "important" to know whether the car they wish to buy is likely to be targeted by thieves, according to a new survey conducted by Nanos Research.

Meanwhile, one-third (34 percent) say it is not an important factor in buying a car, while nearly one in five Canadians remained neutral on the issue.

Elliot Silverstein, director of government relations at the Canadian Automobile Association, said in an interview with CTV National News on Friday: "This shows that consumers are more aware of vehicle theft than ever, and they are actually considering it now when making their car choices."

Silverstein added: "We are seeing a lot of SUVs, we are seeing many luxury cars and pickup trucks that are very attractive to thieves."

The survey also found that Ontario and Quebec have a higher percentage of participants who believe the likelihood of a vehicle being targeted by thieves is an important factor before purchasing one.

Specifically, 45 percent of Ontario residents and 44.5 percent of Quebec residents surveyed said they want to know whether a car’s make and model are more likely to be targeted by car thieves.

Nick Nanos, head of Nanos Research, said in an interview with CTV National News on Friday: "To me, this indicates that these two provinces may very well be ground zero for a lot of this activity concerning stolen vehicles."

This is compared to only a quarter of participants in Atlantic Canada - and about one-third of participants who want to know that data before buying a car.

An estimated 90,000 vehicles are reported stolen each year in Canada, according to the federal government.

Meanwhile, the Insurance Bureau of Canada says auto thefts led to insurance claims totaling $1.2 billion in 2022, which is three times what it was just four years ago.

Silverstein added, "This serves as an opportunity for drivers to take that extra step now while they are shopping - call your insurance company and ask, ‘Is the make and model of the vehicle I'm looking at associated with higher risks, and will I pay more for it?’."

In the recent federal budget, the government allocated $28 million to help stop the export of stolen vehicles from Canada.