In 2022, the DVLA reported that vehicle theft was in the rise by 26% in comparison to 2021, with 48,493 vehicles being stolen in that year, compared to 61,106 being stolen in 2022. As car theft is on the increase, we here at Keytek® Auto Locksmiths put together a list of the top 10 most stolen cars in the UK, so that you can be aware if your vehicle is on the list, and what security measures you can take to prevent your vehicle being part of those statistics.
The Top 10 Most Stolen Cars UK
10. Mercedes E Class
2021: 818 cars stolen
2022: 866 cars stolen
Vehicle theft involving the Mercedes E Class has increased by 5.9% between 2021 and 2022. This high-ranking premium model is attractive to potential car thieves due to its resale value and luxury feel.
9. Vauxhall Astra
2021: 1096 cars stolen
2022: 1240 cars stolen
There has been an increase in 13.1% of Vauxhall Astra's being stolen in the UK. A Vauxhall Astra is a popular car in the UK, only falling out of the top 10 in the last few years. Whilst it's a great car to drive it's most likely to be targeted so it can be stripped for parts which are then sold.
8. Vauxhall Corsa
2021: 1218 cars stolen
2022: 1280 cars stolen
Vauxhall Corsa has seen an increase of 5.1% of this make of car being stolen, again due to thieves stealing them for their parts to then be sold, the same as with Vauxhall Astra.
7. Mercedes C Class
2021: 1474 cars stolen
2022: 1378 cars stolen
Even though Mercedes C Class is number 7 on our list, the thefts involving this car has actually decreased by 6.5% between 2021 and 2022. Although it seems like car thieves aren't going after the Mercedes C Class as much as before, it's still number 7 on the list which means that it is potentially a more attractive target.
6. BMW 3 Series
2021: 1464 cars stolen
2022: 1454 cars stolen
Like the Mercedes C Class, BMW 3 Series has also decreased in theft between 2021 and 2022, decreasing by 0.7%. However, this is only a small amount, and the car is still high up on our list, so it's still important to look after your vehicle and invest in security measures to protect it.
5. Land Rover Discovery
2021: 1260 cars stolen
2022: 1920 cars stolen
The Land Rover Discovery has seen one of the biggest increases in theft between 2021 and 2022, going up by 52.4%. This make of car is being targeted by thieves that are looking for high-value cars for overseas markets.
4. Volkswagen Golf
2021: 1755 cars stolen
2022: 2036 cars stolen
Theft involving a Volkswagen Golf has risen by 16%. Always in high demand, these cars are targeted for their resale value as they can be quickly turned around to unsupecting buyers.
3. Ford Focus
2021: 1912 cars stolen
2022: 2186 cars stolen
The Ford Focus has seen an increase of theft by 14.3%. A popular family car in the UK and the unfortunate of development of key hacking devices means that the Ford Focus is a secure third place on our top most stolen cars.
2. Range Rover
2021: 3754 cars stolen
2022: 5533 cars stolen
As demonstrated by the statistics, Range Rover is a very vulnerable car that is susceptible to theft. Between 2021 and 2022, theft of Range Rovers increased bt 47.7%. Due to the popularity of Range Rovers, this means an easy target for vehicle theft, as thieves know that they have customers who are waiting to buy one.
1. Ford Fiesta
2021: 3909 cars stolen
2022: 5979 cars stolen
Ford Fiesta has seen an unfortunately massive increase in car theft, with figures increasing by 53% between 2021 and 2022. Ford mostly holds the top spot due to its vast popularity amongst the drivers of the UK, as the UK's best selling car not only are there more on the road but they are immensely in demand to buy second hand.
Preventing Car Theft
Although car theft is something that cannot always be stopped, there are a lot of security measures that you can put in place to help prevent car theft. At Keytek® Auto Locksmiths, we want to make sure that your car security is as good as it possibly can be so that your car isn't another statistic in the list above. To help you come up with ways that you can help secure your car against car thieves, check out our advice page!