Warning to anyone who owns a car as the most stolen model in UK unveiled

A car was stolen in the UK every 8.5 minutes last year, but which are the most popular with thieves?

According to the DVLA, 61,343 vehicles were reported stolen in 2024.

While this is a 6% reduction on the figures for 2023, it is the third-highest figure in the past decade and more than twice the number of vehicles stolen in the whole of 2015.

The enormous figure is equivalent to 168 cars being stolen every day.

Ford Fiestas were the most pinched model in 2024, with a huge 4,446 taken from their owners, although this was a decrease of 26% compared with the number taken in 2023.

That figure is partly representative of the fact that the car was the UK’s best-selling for over a decade, meaning there are about 1.5 million on the country’s roads.

Almost 90% of Fiestas stolen last year were the Mk6 2008-2017 model.

Next most popular among thieves were Volkswagen Golfs, with 1,731 stolen in 2024.

Like Fiestas, there are a large number on the roads, giving thieves ample opportunity to steal them.

The 2013-2020 Golf model was most likely to be stolen last year, making up over half of total number.

Close behind with 1,700 vehicles stolen is the Ford Focus which rounds out the top three.

There are more than a million of the family hatchbacks on the roads so similar to the other most stolen vehicles, there are plenty to choose from.

Following on from these models are the BMW 3 Series, Toyota RAV4 and Mercedes C-Class models, all with over 1,000 vehicles stolen last year.

Though it was the sixth most stolen vehicle last year, C-Class thefts were down over a third on 2023.

Also reducing their number of thefts were Range Rover Evoques, a model plagued by security concerns.

Land Rover is retrofitting upgraded security features to second hand models, and owners may benefit from checking the availability of these instalments with local dealers.

Around 80% of all Evoque thefts last year were the previous 2011-2019 generation.

Finishing off the top ten most stolen cars were the Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Corsa and Range Rover Sport.

In terms of brands, Ford cars were the most stolen last year, driven by the high numbers of Fiesta and Focus thefts.

Next on the list was BMW, followed by Land Rover, Mercedes and Toyota.

Experts have warned motorists to remain vigilant and follow a list of tips to keep their cars safe.

Vehicle crime consultant Dr Ken German, AA president Edmund King and Thatcham Research, a not-for profit automotive risk intelligence organisation, told the This is Money site that many vehicle owners forget to lock their cars in the first place.

They advised owners not to leave cars running to defrost windows, keep valuables out of sight and consider fitting an alarm or immobiliser.

Manual methods, such as parking cars in home garages or using a steering wheel lock or gear clamp, can also be highly effective.

The 20 most stolen car models in 2024 (Number stolen)

1. Ford Fiesta (4446)
2. Volkswagen Golf (1731)
3. Ford Focus (1700)
4. Toyota RAV4 (1260)
5. BMW 3 Series (1243)
6. Mercedes C-Class (1123)
7. Range Rover Evoque (1087)
8. Nissan Juke (1027)
9. Vauxhall Corsa (870)
10. Range Rover Sport (867)
11. Land Rover Discovery Sport (837)
12. Mercedes E-Class (802)
13. Vauxhall Astra (797)
14. BMW 1 Series (753)
15. Mercedes A-Class (690)
16. Lexus RX (678)
17. Kia Sportage (654)
18. BMW 5 Series (651)
19. Audi A3 (641)
20. Ford Kuga (632)