Someone further up in the thread used the word repossession. Where I am from we typically shorten that term to “repo.” This occurs when you have “bought” a car, but on a finance or payment plan. So you have not paid the full price of the car, instead you are making monthly payments. If you fail to make those monthly payments, the car will be “repo’ed” it will be physically taken away from you. Used to be with a tow truck. Though if they can start it with a key or some electronic means they could do that too. This is not theft. Quite the opposite, the “buyer” is engaging in theft, as they are not paying for the item they agreed to purchase.

So that’s why my understanding of the definition of repo is not theft. But maybe there is a different definition I am not familiar with.