Ford Fiesta is UK's most stolen car model

Last year in the UK, a car was stolen every 8 minutes, with a total of 61,343 vehicles reported stolen in 2024. This number represents a 6% drop compared to the previous year, but it is still among the highest theft rates in the last decade. The Ford Fiesta was the most stolen car model, with 4,446 thefts. This is a decrease of 26% from 2023. The popularity of the Fiesta, as the best-selling car for over ten years, means there are many of them on the road—about 1.5 million. Most stolen Fiestas were the 2008-2017 version. Volkswagen Golfs were the second-most stolen, with 1,731 taken last year. Like the Fiesta, there are many Golfs on the road, which makes them vulnerable to thieves. The 2013-2020 model was the most targeted. The Ford Focus came in third place, with 1,700 stolen vehicles. Other notable mentions include the BMW 3 Series, Toyota RAV4, and Mercedes C-Class, each with over 1,000 vehicles stolen. The thefts of the C-Class fell by more than a third compared to 2023. Land Rover is also addressing high theft rates for the Range Rover Evoque by improving security features. In total, the Nissan Juke, Vauxhall Corsa, and Range Rover Sport completed the top ten most stolen cars. Ford was the most stolen brand last year due to the high thefts of the Fiesta and Focus. BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes, and Toyota followed in the rankings. Experts have urged car owners to stay cautious. Simple measures like locking cars, avoiding leaving them running to defrost, and keeping valuables out of sight can help prevent theft. They also recommend considering alarms or immobilisers and using manual security methods, such as parking in garages or using steering wheel locks.