The Most Stolen Cars in the UK

Within the UK car theft is increasingly becoming a concern. Between April 2023-2024 the ONS reported that 129,159 cars had been stolen, meaning that on average 354 cars are stolen per day. While this may be a slight drop from the year before (130,119 thefts) the figures still point to car theft being a huge issue in the UK.

Like all crimes some regions experience car theft more than others, Greater London, for example, reported 20,000 stolen vehicles during this period. Whether you live in greater London or not, you still need to know which cars are most targeted and how to protect your own vehicle from being stolen.

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 A Class

• 2024: 690 cars stolen 

Vehicle theft involving the Mercedes A 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

• 2024: 797 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. Land Rover Discovery

• 2024: 837 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. In June 2024, Jaguar Land Rover committed £1 million to help the UK police target the organised crime gangs that steal Range Rovers.

7. Range Rover Sport

• 2024: 867 cars stolen

As demonstrated by the statistics, all Range Rovers no matter the type, are very vulnerable to theft. Between 2021 and 2022, theft of Range Rovers increased by 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. They are often targeted by organised crime gangs due to their high resale value. Incredibly recent figures show that 1 in every 100 Range Rovers are stolen.

6. Vauxhall Corsa

• 2024: 870 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. There has been a marked decrease in the number of Corsa’s being stolen, they are still targeted for parts, so owners still need to be careful.

5. Mercedes C Class

• 2024: 1,123 cars stolen

There has been a 47% drop in C Class thefts in recent years, this could be due to the upgrades in security as there has been a marked improvement from the 2015-1028 models. There has also been an increased public awareness of the vulnerabilities of keyless entry and owners are taking preventative measures to stop this from happening.

4. BMW 3 Series

• 2024: 1,371 cars stolen

Like the Mercedes A 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. The older models with keyless entry are the most vulnerable to theft as thieves know how to amplify the key signal to gain access.

3. Ford Focus

• 2024: 1,700

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. Volkswagen Golf

•             2024: 1,727 cars stolen

Theft involving a Volkswagen Golf has fallen, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still a huge issue. Always in high demand, these cars are targeted for their resale value as they can be quickly turned around to unsuspecting buyers. There is also high demand for Volkswagen Golf components meaning they are often stolen for parts.

1. Ford Fiesta

• 2024: 4,446 cars stolen

Ford Fiesta has seen an unfortunately massive increase in car theft. Ford mostly holds the top spot due to its vast popularity amongst the drivers of the UK, as the UK's bestselling car not only are there more on the road but they are immensely in demand to buy second hand. Most ford fiestas are stolen for parts, due to the high volume on the road and demand for chap replacement parts. They also tend to have older security systems, meaning they are easier to break in to.

Preventing Car Theft

Even if your car is not in the top 10 most stolen cars in the UK, you still need to take steps to protect your car from theft. 7 cars are stolen per hour in the UK, so the most secure you can make your car the better.

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!