Latest news with #stolen cars
The Sun
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Britain's most stolen cars revealed with humble motor topping the list… where does your vehicle rank?
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. 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. Watch moment brazen gang steals car from family driveway in under 20 seconds as thief claims robbing to order is like 'working for Amazon' 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. 4 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. How to protect your car from thieves Wheel clamps are another great option that can prevent your car from being driven away. Again, they are highly visible as they are often sold in bright colours, and may deter opportunistic thieves looking for a quick and easy target. Traditional security measures are also considered when calculating insurance premiums. Rich Morley at Lancaster Insurance explains that, no matter what car you drive, classic or modern, traditional-style security measures can provide extra peace of mind and security for your vehicle, helping to deter thieves in the process. He added: 'When considering a risk profile, we will establish with customers any security measures they have in place to prevent potential theft."
Auto Car
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Thieves targeting Lexus cars as Range Rover thefts plummet
Five Lexus models were among the top 10 cars most likely to be stolen in 2024, according to government data – and the Range Rover, previously a high-profile target for car thieves, is now among the most protected. Last year, more than 61,000 cars were stolen across the UK. The Ford Fiesta – the country's most popular second-hand car, with 306,207 sales in 2024 – topped the table for overall number of thefts, at 4719. However, new analysis of the latest DVLA data, which ranks stolen cars as a proportion of the total number registered, paints an alternative picture. It reveals the Lexus ES 300 as the model most likely to be stolen in 2024, with one in 30 taken. It is followed by the Lexus RX 450 and Mercedes GLS, both one in 39. The other Lexus models in a top 10 dominated by slightly older and relatively low-volume, higher-value cars are the LC 500 (fifth place, one in 55), the UX 250 (sixth, one in 62) and the NX 300 (eighth, one in 75). Applying the same analysis to the Fiesta ranks the model in 312th place. According to the analysis by PR agency Loop, Lexus is the second-most-likely brand to be stolen (one in 120) after Abarth (one in 116). The Abarth most likely to be stolen is the 595, with a one-in-87 chance, ranking it ninth in the model table. A spokesman for Toyota premium brand Lexus said: 'Toyota GB has invested millions of pounds in a variety of security solutions. Our anti-theft measures form part of a nationwide customer care offering. 'For example, at a cost of more than £10 million to Lexus, selected customers were provided with a free Tracker vehicle location service. As a result, a 96% recovery rate has been achieved. We have subsequently rolled out Tracker installation as an option for buyers of certain models.' Following similar incidents of theft, JLR updated security software for its new and existing vehicles last year. As a result, having previously been among the most stolen models, the Range Rover now ranks 52nd in the table of cars most likely to be stolen, behind other premium SUVs such as the Bentley Bentayga (36th) and Mercedes GLS (third). 'Lexus is making considerable efforts to protect its customers' cars but JLR suffered a rise in thefts sooner than it and so has had more time to react and develop solutions,' said Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker. 'However, its cars are still being stolen. There is a thriving market overseas for Lexus, JLR and other premium vehicles and we recover many at docksides. Until this export market ends, recovering these vehicles will remain an ongoing programme for us.'
