UK's most-stolen car models ranked as police 'lose battle' to curb road crime

07 March 2023 , 09:48

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Car thefts shot up in 2022, stats show (Image: Getty Images)

The most-stolen cars in Britain have been announced as drivers are told to be on their toes with police losing the war against road crime.

Official DVLA data shows the models now most likely to be targeted by criminals.

Stats show over a 12 month period, 58,082 vehicles were recorded as stolen - an average of 159 per day.

That represents a worrying 18% increase on the previous year.

The most commonly snatched motor is the Ford Fiesta, with 5,700 taken from their owners in 2022.

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The Ford Fiesta may be about to be discontinued but it was the most stolen car (Corbis via Getty Images)

The soon-to-be-axed classic's popularity is still high with crooks as 5,724 were swiped last year, 41 thefts per 10,000 cars.

Land Rover’s most luxurious and expensive model was second on the list, with 5,200 Range Rovers nicked between November 2021 and October 2022.

The Ford Focus still has pulling power for the low-life thieves, with 2,048 taken.

Volkswagen Golf, Land Rover Discovery, Vauxhall Corsa, Vauxhall Astra, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Audi A3 and the Ford EcoSport also made the crooks' top ten must-haves.

An average of 159 vehicles per day were reported stolen last year (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

West Midlands Police Deputy Chief Constable Vanessa Jardine admitted car crime had not come down as they had hoped following the diverting of extra manpower towards the issue.

She said global demand for parts, as well as the rise in use of keyless technology, was driving offending and making their job harder.

Telling BirminghamLive, she said: "This has been a real stubborn issue for us to tackle. We have seen some increases in vehicle crime, particularly around theft of actual vehicles.

"We would have hoped our real focus on the offenders, on executing warrants, on chop shops, on handlers, all that activity, would have seen a decrease, because it traditionally does, and we just haven't seen that."

The Land Rover remains popular with low-life criminals (Getty Images)

Vince Pemberton, CEO and automotive expert at Rivervale, said: “Keyless car theft known as relay theft is becoming increasingly common.

"It’s hard to prevent but you can help reduce your chances of being a victim by storing your keys in a pouch or box designed to block the signal.

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"A steering lock and additional car alarm can also help to stop thieves from accessing and stealing your car."

Staying safe

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) have shared their top 3 tips to protecting your car below:

1. Park your car in a well-lit area
2. Keep car keys well away from external doors or windows
3. Turn off the signal overnight or keep the keys in a signal block pouch

UK's most stolen cars last year

One car model attracts criminals more than any other (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Ford Fiesta - 5,724 stolen (41 thefts per 10,000 cars)

Land Rover Range Rover - 5,209 (38 per 10,000)

Ford Focus - 2,048 (21 per 10,000)

Volkswagen Golf - 1,959 (22 per 10,000)

Land Rover Discovery - 1,778 (77 per 10,000)

Vauxhall Corsa - 1,268 (13 per 10,000)

Vauxhall Astra - 1,215 (18 per 10,000)

Mercedes-Benz C-Class - 981 (27 per 10,000)

Audi A3 - 805 (19 per 10,000)

Ford EcoSport - 656 (63 per 10,000)

Sam Elliott-Gibbs