Britain's most stolen cars revealed with humble motor topping the list… where does your vehicle rank?

Scottish Sun

a day ago

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BRITAIN'S most stolen cars have been revealed with a humble motor topping the list from the Government's most recent car theft statistics.
The data shows which motors are the most commonly stolen in the UK.
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Range Rovers are stolen less frequently thanks to security upgrades
Credit: Nick Dimbleby 2022
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Toyota Hilux' are a target for thieves selling into foreign markets
Credit: Getty
Range Rover owners can breathe easy but Hilux owners should be concerned after the sturdy Toyota pick up topped the list.
Thefts of the reliable Japanese four-by-four were up 549 per cent in 2024, equating to 584 missing motors in just a year.
Overall vehicle thefts were down 4.5 per cent last year but thefts of cars less than three-years-old rose by 6.6 per cent.
Land Rover models came out well in the statistics with Range Rover Evoque thefts down a whopping 77 per cent.
This brought the brand out of the list of top ten most stolen cars in Britain.
The firm has been focused on security improvements with recent models after receiving a slew of theft reports from customers.
Amidst the crime wave insuring a Range Rover, especially in the city, was nearly impossible for motorists.
In response Land Rover's parent company JLR invested a whopping £1 million to fund proactive policing.
This was aimed at tackling the organised crime groups suspected to be targeting the flash motors in the UK.
The firm went on to splash out an eye-watering £17 million on updating the security of its motors.
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This included retrospectively upgrading the key systems on 300,000 cars to the latest technology.
As a result of the effort there are now no Land Rover models in the top 22 most stolen models for 2024.
But car thieves have seemingly pivoted to target another off-road SUV.
The near indestructible Toyota Hilux appears to be highly sought after by criminals who nick the motors using electronic bypasses to drive them off without a key.
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BMW remained number two on the list of new cars stolen
Credit: Getty
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Kia branded motors are being stolen more often, rising from fifth to third place
Credit: Getty
The Hilux has a ready market in foreign countries where its ruggedness is prized and buyers are less concerned about where the motors came from.
Richard Billyeald, chief research and operations officer at the insurance industry's Thatcham Research, said: 'Top destinations for stolen UK vehicles include the Democratic Republic of Congo, UAE, Cyprus, Jamaica and Georgia, driven by global shortages of car parts, high vehicle desirability and geopolitical disruption.'
With so many Hilux' being stolen police forces across the country have begun issuing warnings to owners.
After 11 were nicked overnight Bedfordshire Police urged owners to take extra care.
North Yorkshire Police and Nottinghamshire officers have issued similar warnings.
Toyota is fighting back though, a spokesman told the Telegraph: 'Toyota GB has invested millions of pounds in a variety of solutions that help protect cars from theft.
"These include protective plates, immobilisers, blockers and trackers."
BMW retained its second place in the most stolen list of younger cars and Korean brand Kia rose from fifth to third place.
Hyundai has claimed that in the market after February 2024 all received the latest hardware and software technology and should be safe from thieves.
Thefts by region varied with Greater Manchester seeing a 20 per cent reduction but Bedfordshire, Essex and Warwickshire saw increases.