Peter Lyon
June 17, 2025
In Britain, after an Abarth, the second most stolen car is a Lexus ES300. In Japan, it’s the Toyota Land Cruiser most at risk, while in the U.S., Korea’s Hyundai and Kia brands occupy 6 of the top 10 most stolen cars with the Hyundai Elantra in No 1 spot.
Okay let’s get into the details. Analysis of Britain’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data has shown that while the Ford Fiesta was the UK’s most stolen car of 2024, Abarth and Lexus owners faced a proportionally far greater chance of becoming the unlucky victim of vehicle theft, with five Lexus models in the top 10 most at-risk. By contrast, Tesla and TVR owners can sleep the most soundly, as their vehicles were the least likely to be taken.
Last year, 4,719 Ford Fiestas were reported stolen to the DVLA, more than twice as many as the next hottest model, the Volkswagen Golf.
But once thefts are assessed as a proportion of the number of each make on Britain’s roads, Ford drops to 13th place with a 1-in-460 chance of being nicked. Considered in proportion, it’s Abarth that tops the chart of the brands most likely to be stolen, with a 1-in-116 chance of falling victim to the crime.
Following closely in second place is Lexus, with the Japanese manufacturer’s RX450 appearing to be particularly popular with the car-pinching fraternity, recording 717 thefts during 2024.
Five Lexus models most at risk
In fact, so prevalent was theft of RX450s that owners faced an incredible 1-in-39 chance of theirs going missing. Worryingly, by assessing the risk of theft at the individual model level, we can see that the top 10 vehicles most at risk of being stolen include five models from Lexus. Crowning this list is the ES300 saloon with an astonishing 1-in-30 examples stolen last year alone.
Meanwhile in the U.S., each year, the NICB compiles a “Hot Wheels” report that provides information on the most stolen vehicle makes and models. Here are the 10 most stolen cars in 2024 by make and model:
- Hyundai Elantra
- Hyundai Sonata
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- Honda Accord
- Kia Optima
Hyundai and Kia had four models in the top 10, while US models, including the Silverado 1500, Dodge Charger and Ford F-150 ranked in the 10 most stolen vehicles in 2024.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Interestingly, the top 10 is exclusively made up of models from Korea, Japan and the US. According to data from the carmakers, Hyundai and Kia models are the most stolen in the US because of a lack of engine immobilizers, making them soft targets. These models can be started with basic tools and even USB drives, thanks to a method popularized on social media.
