The most stolen cars in the UK

The days when you could break into a car with a coat hanger might be long gone, but according to the DVLA*, 61,343 vehicles reported stolen in 2024. Although this is a 6% reduction on the previous year, it’s the third highest figure in the past decade and more than twice the number of vehicles stolen in the whole of 2015. 

The yearly figure equates to 168 cars stolen every day, seven cars stolen every hour, or one stolen every 8.5 minutes last year.

The top 10 comprises a mix of prestige models and some of the UK’s best sellers, including the Ford Fiesta. Production of the small hatchback was discontinued in 2023, but prior to that the Fiesta was the country's biggest-selling car every year for more than a decade with 4.8 million examples registered to UK drivers. 

There are around 1.5 million Fiestas on our roads and there’s a big demand for secondhand parts, so it’s hardly surprising it's also the most stolen. 

There has been a decrease in the number of cars stolen for eight of the models in the top 10, and Land Rover has done best of all at stemming the flood of some of its models into the hands of thieves. 

The number of Range Rover Sport models stolen last year was down 47% on the previous year and the number of Range Rover Evoques was down by 27%. 

It's not such good news for all brands, though. The Toyota RAV4 makes an appearance in the top 10 for the first time, along with the Nissan Juke. Other SUVs that have been more popular with thieves include the Ford Kuga, Kia Sportage and Lexus RX.

Criminals are also targeting hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. The used-only Mitsubishi Outlander was the 23rd most popular car with thieves, and the vast majority of the 606 examples taken were plug-in hybrids. The Toyota Prius isn’t far behind, lying in 25th place with 535 cars taken last year.  

In contrast, exotic and high-performance vehicles are less popular with thieves: only three Ferraris, 12 Rolls Royce models and 38 Maseratis were stolen last year. 

Read on to find out more about the 20 most frequently stolen vehicles in 2024. Our list is generated from the latest DVLA data obtained by a Freedom of Information request.

Most stolen cars in 2024

1. Ford Fiesta

Number stolen 4446

First place (if we can call it that) goes to the Ford Fiesta, a small car that's great at putting a smile on your face. It’s fun to drive, comes with a range of punchy turbo-powered petrol engines and has low emissions and good economy. 

However, you won’t be happy if your Fiesta gets stolen, so you’ll need to consider security carefully. Its position in this list has a lot to do with the fact it was the UK's best-selling car for more than a decade, and there are around 1.5 million on UK roads today for car buyers and thieves to choose from. Although the number stolen has gone down by 26% compared with 2023, the number of Fiestas still on the road continues to fuel demand for spares.

The Mk6 2008-2017 Fiesta accounted for almost 90% of Fiestas taken in 2024. 

Read our full Ford Fiesta review >>

2. Volkswagen Golf 

Number stolen 1731

It’s amazing to think that the VW Golf has been a top seller for eight generations now. And as well as maintaining its usual blend of impressive practicality and driving dynamics, the latest version adds a host of clever technologies into the mix. 

This includes mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions that offer good economy and low emissions. Its other merits include tidy handling and an exceedingly comfortable ride, especially if you pick a model with adaptive suspension. 

Like some of the models already covered, the Golf owes its presence here to two things: desirability and sheer numbers on the road. It offers many of the premium features you'd expect to only get in a more expensive car, and it finished fourth in the UK sales chart in 2024.

While the latest Golf may be highly desirable to new car buyers, it’s the previous 2013-2020 Golf that appeals most to criminals, accounting for just over half of Golfs stolen last year. 

Read our full Volkswagen Golf review >>

3. Ford Focus

Number stolen 1700

Like the Fiesta, the Ford Focus stands out because it’s the best family car to drive, with particularly entertaining handling if you go for the sporty ST-Line trim. It also has a comfortable ride with little road or wind noise and a roomy interior. It’s not the cheapest family hatchback you can buy, and the higher trim levels stray into Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class territory. 

On top of that, the quality of the trim is a bit disappointing, but this doesn't seem to put off buyers – or criminals. With more than a million examples on our roads, thieves and buyers also have a huge pool of cars to pick from.  

The 2011-2018 Focus is the biggest hit with thieves, accounting for just over half of all those stolen in 2024. It’s followed by the earlier, second generation model, produced between 2004 and 2011, which made up around a quarter of Focus thefts. 

Read our full Ford Focus review >>

4. BMW 3 Series

Number stolen 1371

It may be a prestige model, but the BMW 3 Series regularly features near the top of the UK sales charts, and with good reason: attributes include fun handling, strong, efficient engines and a smart, user-friendly interior. Those engines include the 330e plug-in hybrid, which has brisk performance and a pure-electric range of 37 miles in our real-world test. Equipment is generous, even on the cheapest Sport trim level, but we’d opt for M Sport Pro to get adaptive M Sport suspension, which can be stiffened or softened whenever you want. 

The only downsides are that the ride is fairly firm – and that the 3 Series really appeals to the unscrupulous. While thefts of 3 Series models are down by 15% in 2023, it’s still the most stolen BMW, with thieves taking around a third more of them than the smaller 1 Series examples (753 thefts in 2024). 

As with many models in this top 10, it’s the previous generation of the 3 Series (2012-2019) that’s most attractive to thieves, making up just over 40% of those stolen, while the earlier version made up nearly 30% of thefts. Our data includes saloon and Touring estate versions of the 3 Series and examples of the M3. 

Read our full BMW 3 Series review >>

5. Toyota RAV4

Number stolen 1260

The RAV4 is a highly practical and extremely reliable large SUV that makes for an eminently sensible used buy. It’s practical, frugal to run thanks to its hybrid engine, and it holds onto its value extremely well. Our pick of the line-up is the regular front-wheel drive version, which is affordable to buy and cheap to own. 

Perhaps the strong demand for the RAV4 as a secondhand buy is part of the reason why it has made it into the top 10 most stolen cars for the first time this year.  

Although the RAV4 has been on UK roads since 1994, it’s the latest version, which has been on sale since 2019 that is being targeted most by thieves. The earliest examples of this version, dating from 2019 to 2021, account for more than 90% of the RAV4s that went missing last year. 

Read our full Toyota RAV4 review >>

6. Mercedes C-Class

Number stolen 1123

Although the C-Class finishes in sixth place in this chart, the good news is that thefts of this model are down 37% on last year, when 1786 models were stolen. It is older examples of the latest C-Class that are going missing most often. Cars first registered between 2015 and 2018 account for around 60% of those listed as stolen.  Our data includes saloon and estate versions of the C-Class, AMG models and the C-Class Coupe.

Our pick of the line-up is the C300e plug-in hybrid, which is an exceptionally good all-rounder. As well as impressive ride comfort, it boasts low emissions and good fuel economy, helped by its real-world pure-electric range of 60 miles. It’s also a very affordable company car. The only area where rivals top it is the interior, which doesn’t feel as premium as that of an Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series. 

Read our full Mercedes C-Class review >>

7. Range Rover Evoque

Number stolen 1087

Land Rover has made huge efforts to prevent thefts of its models in the past year or so, and the fact that thefts of Evoques are down by nearly 30% compared with 2023 shows just how well its initiative is working.  

Land Rover is retrofitting upgraded security features to secondhand models, and although thefts are down, Evoque owners may benefit from checking on the availability of these with their local dealer because its predominately the previous generation 2011-2019 Evoque that was taken last year, accounting for around 80% of all Evoque thefts. 

The Evoque gains a five-star What Car? rating because it's good to drive, well-appointed inside and practical. The plug-in hybrid version will appeal to company car drivers for its low ownership costs. 

Read our full Range Rover Evoque review >>

8. Nissan Juke

Number stolen 1027

The Nissan Juke was instrumental in creating the small SUV car category when it was first launched in 2010, and its extroverted styling and high driving position helped to make it extremely popular with new car buyers. While the second generation version is an affordable, smartly styled and practical proposition, it has been outclassed by rivals, such as the  Ford Puma, Renault Captur E-Tech and Volkswagen T-Roc.

The first generation 2010-2019 Juke model is proving extremely popular with thieves, though, who’ve targeted it in such high numbers it was the eighth most frequently stolen model in 2024. More than 90% of the Jukes stolen last year were first generation models. 

Read our full Nissan Juke review >>

9. Vauxhall Corsa

Number stolen 870

In most respects, the Vauxhall Corsa is a competent small car rather than an outstanding one. But like its bigger brother, the Astra, it's a very common sight on UK roads. It’s been on sale in different guises since 1993, too, so there are plenty of examples for criminals to choose from. 

The latest version is well equipped, practical and has a range of efficient engines. However, it’s the 2006-2014 Corsa that’s most at risk of theft - it accounted for just over half of all the Corsas stolen last year. 

Read our full Vauxhall Corsa review >>

10. Range Rover Sport

Number stolen 867

The Range Rover Sport was voted What Car?'s Luxury SUV of 2023 because it offers superb levels of comfort and lavish equipment, without the high purchase price of some premium rivals. 

Despite its appearance in this top 10, thefts of Range Rover Sport models were down by 47% last year, which demonstrates how effective Land Rover’s initiative to retro-fit upgraded security systems to tens of thousands of secondhand vehicles has been. 

Around three quarters of Range Rover thefts were of 2014-2022 examples, so owners are advised to speak to their local Land Rover dealer about improving the security on their cars.  

Read our full Range Rover Sport review >>

The 20 most stolen car models in 2024

What are the most stolen car brands? 

At brand level, Ford is the most frequently stolen brand, with more than 8500 cars stolen in 2024. 

Next up is BMW, closely followed by Land Rover and Mercedes, highlighting the fact that owners of less prestigious makes and models need to be just as vigilant about protecting cars. 

The most stolen car brands of 2024

* Data obtained via a Freedom of Information request

** Brand data contains all examples listed by DVLA for each brand, including some with no model specified

How to protect your car from thieves

There are some simple car security measures you can take to make it harder for criminals to get their hands on your car. Even simple deterrents, such as steering wheel locks, are likely to make your car less appealing to thieves, so consider buying one of these devices.  

When you’re at home, keep the keys in a secure place away from the front door, and in a metal box or Faraday pouch if it has keyless entry and could be stolen using the relay theft method. 

If you leave your car in a public place, pick a well-lit car park with security cameras if you can, and don’t leave any valuables on display as theft from vehicles is just as prolific as theft of entire vehicles.

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Read more: Car security: how to keep your car safe >>