Unfortunately, 2021 was a big year for car thefts. On average, one was stolen every 11 minutes according to a study from car comparison website LeaseLoco. Which were the most popular though? Should you avoid buying them just because they are stolen frequently?
The Top 10 Analysis
From Range Rovers to Fords, the DVLA data shows 43,603 cars stolen up until November 30th, 2021. Less than the 58,642 taken in 2019 before the pandemic but estimated to be more than the 2020 figure of 46,876.
Ford Fiesta is the dominance force on the list, as from the top eight stolen cars in 2021 seven of them were Fiesta’s. With the Zetec Fiesta at the top, at least 418 stolen throughout the year. On average, five Fiesta’s are stolen every day – this is because the Ford is one of the top selling cars in the UK.
The Range Rover appears twice in the list too. With the Sport HSE SDV6 and Sport HSE Dynamic SDV6 at 489 vehicles combined. Due to their keyless entry features and high re-sell price, thieves are more open to stealing Range Rovers. As they are 4-5x the price of a Fiesta when new, it is a greater reward. Typically we see that many of the most stolen models typically require either cat s7 trackers and cat s5 trackers. Additionally many of these vehicles are likely to have been stolen via keyless car theft, which can be combatted with our Ghost Immobiliser & Tracker offer.
The full top 10 are shown below:
- Ford Fiesta Zetec – 418 stolen
- Ford Fiesta Titanium Turbo – 351 stolen
- Range Rover Sport HSE SDV6 – 315 stolen
- Ford Fiesta Titanium X – 311 stolen
- Ford Fiesta ST-2 Turbo – 300 stolen
- Ford Fiesta ST-3 Turbo – 272 stolen
- Ford Fiesta Titanium – 241 stolen
- Ford Fiesta Zetec Turbo – 204 stolen
- Range Rover Sport HSE Dynamic SDV6 – 174 stolen – see our Range Rover trackers
- BMW 520D M Sport – 131 stolen – see our BMW car trackers
Conclusion
Most importantly it is vital to ensure you have the correct measures in place to prevent your car being stolen. Despite Ford Fiesta being the top spot for car thefts, it is one of the best-selling cars in the UK with 77,833 being sold in 2019. The higher trim level your car has the more likely it will have keyless entry. Meaning a number of measures can be taken to block signals from thieves including an insurance approved car tracker.