The Ford Fiesta was the most stolen car in 2019.
Data supplied by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) shows that 56,288 cars were stolen in 2019. This translates to one car stolen every nine minutes – or 154 a day.
The Ford Fiesta is the car most at risk, with 2,384 stolen last year. As the UK’s most popular car, this is not a surprise as there’s more cars to steal. The Range Rover ranks second, with 1,917 stolen in 2019. The Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus were ranked third and fourth respectively.
Using figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Rivervale Leasing found that just 40% of stolen cars are returned to their owner. Around one in five returned cars (22%) were written off completely, while 75% were returned with damage.
The ONS data also found:
- 63% of vehicles are stolen between Monday and Friday
- 42% of vehicles are stolen on a semi-private area close to home
- 40% of all vehicle offences are recorded in West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester or the West Midlands.
- 11% of thieves steal brand-new vehicles.
The top 10 list of stolen cars with number stolen in 2019 is:
- Ford Fiesta – 2,384
- Range Rover – 1,917
- Volkswagen Golf – 1,331
- Ford Focus – 1,200
- BMW 3 Series – 1,042
- Vauxhall Astra – 836
- Land Rover Discovery – 791
- Mercedes Benz E-Class – 612
- BMW 5 Series – 506
- Audi A3 – 456
