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the-most-stolen-cars-in-the-uk

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. 

&nbsp;The yearly figure equates to 168 cars stolen every day, seven cars stolen every hour, or one stolen every 8.5 minutes last year. But which were the 20 cars most stolen last year? Read on:

Our data is generated from the latest DVLA data obtained by a Freedom of Information request by What Car?

61,343 vehicles were reported stolen in 2024. 

The Kuga is one of three Fords in the list of 20 most stolen cars.&nbsp; It offers good handling, a spacious interior and plenty of standard kit, but its interior quality and a relatively small boot keep it from beating the best family SUVs. The full-hybrid version – our recommended model – provides smooth performance and competitive running costs.

20: Ford Kuga – 632 stolen

Now in its fourth generation, the A3 has long been a big seller in the UK – and there are 450,000 on British roads today. The current model is comfortable, good to drive and spacious enough inside for most but its interior is slightly lacklustre considering its premium billing. However, with a recent mid-life facelift that brought in a more generous array of standard features and a revised interior, the A3 better justifies its premium price tag.

19: Audi A3 – 641 stolen

The 5 Series has long been a class leader, and it seems crooks appreciate this too.&nbsp; The current model is a better all-rounder than its direct rivals, combining a classy and user-friendly interior with impressive refinement and handling.

18: BMW 5 Series – 651 stolen

First launched in 1993, the Sportage’s fifth model generation launched in 2021. The model offers a generous amount of space, a large boot and one of the best interiors in its class.

17: Kia Sportage – 654 stolen

Premium models are often attractive to thieves and the RX SUV is no exception. The model scores well for its strong refinement, plush interior and punchy performance. Reliability is a strong point, too, and the option of a regular hybrid is great for those without easy access to a charger.

16: Lexus RX – 678 stolen

The A-Class has long been a big seller in the premium hatchback market, so there are plenty out there to pinch, sadly. The current model is classy, comfortable, good to drive and packed with technology, the Mercedes A-Class stands among the best premium-badged options in the family car class.

15: Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 690 stolen

The 1 Series has been around since 2004, and the current model was only launched in 2024; it’s a heavy facelift of a model launched in 2019. It remains competitive in the premium family car class, but it's not quite class-leading. Its main strengths are punchy performance and a top-notch interior, but the lack of an iDrive controller is a shame.

14: BMW 1 Series – 753 stolen

There were once more than 1 million Astras on UK roads, but declining sales in its class in recent years has reduced that number to around 650,000 today. The current model blends value with good ride comfort, tidy handling and adequate performance, but struggles to trouble the best family cars in other areas.

13: Vauxhall Astra – 797 stolen

The E-Class is another premium saloon attractive to thieves. The current model – the sixth generation E-Class - is not cheap, but it is well-appointed and impressively refined. It's also spacious, comfortable and easy to drive making it a compelling option in the executive car class.

12: Mercedes-Benz E-Class – 802 stolen

Land Rovers have long been as popular with thieves as with premium SUV buyers, sadly. The model is a practical and comfortable family offering with a well-finished interior and the option of seven seats with most engines. The lower trim levels are competitively priced yet come with plenty of standard equipment.

11: Land Rover Discovery Sport – 837 stolen

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.

10: Range Rover Sport – 867 stolen

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. Indeed, there are nearly 1 million on UK roads today.

9: Vauxhall Corsa – 870 stolen

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 (pictured) is proving extremely popular with thieves, though.

8: Nissan Juke – 1028 stolen

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 how well its initiative is working.

Land Rover is retrofitting upgraded security features to second-hand 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 (pictured) that was stolen last year, accounting for around 80% of all Evoque thefts.

7: Range Rover Evoque – 1087 stolen

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 (pictured) account for around 60% of those listed as stolen.

6: Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 1123 stolen (including C-Class Coupe)

The RAV4 is a highly practical and extremely reliable large SUV that makes for an eminently sensible used buy. 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.

5: Toyota RAV4 – 1260 stolen

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. 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.

4: BMW 3 Series – 1371 stolen

Like the Fiesta, the Ford Focus stands out because it’s the best family car to drive. 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 premium territory.

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 (pictured) , 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.

3: Ford Focus – 1700 stolen

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.

Like some of the models already covered, the Golf owes its presence here to two things: desirability and sheer numbers on the road – nearly a million of them, in fact. It’s the previous 2013-2020 Golf (pictured) that appeals most to criminals, accounting for just over half of Golfs stolen last year.

2: Volkswagen Golf – 1731 stolen

The Ford Fiesta is a small car that's long been 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.

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