What is the most stolen car in the UK – the Fiesta or Range Rover? The answer may surprise you.
When it comes to insurance, accounting for car theft is key when you’re finding cover for your vehicle. BMWs, Aston Martins, Porsches, and Mercedes may be targets for car thieves, but in recent times the most stolen car in the UK is in fact the Ford Fiesta. According to the DVLA, 5,979 Fiestas were stolen last year – on average one every 88 minutes – compared to 3,909 Fiestas stolen in 20211.
Why is the UK’s most popular car subject to so many thefts?
There are over 1.5 million registered Ford Fiestas in the UK which increases the odds of a higher rate of theft2. The second factor points to production. Ford has indicated that they would stop production of Fiestas in June 2023, resulting their rising prices, and car parts becoming increasingly harder to source.
However, it’s worth noting that Land Rover’s Range Rover is number two on car thieves’ ‘hit lists’ with 5,533 of these cars stolen in 2022, compared to 3,754 in 2021. The percentage of thefts of the Land Rover Discovery also rose by 52.4% in 2022 making these two models at a higher risk of theft.
Why are Land Rovers susceptible to theft?
High-end SUVs such as the UK-manufactured Land Rover Defender and Range Rover are in high demand overseas, where they are more difficult to source. They are also stolen for their car parts which are expensive and slower to source. Cars are stolen to order, often by sophisticated criminal gangs. Even Defenders, usually found in more rural areas of the UK, are in demand for their parts and robust construction.
Stolen cars are often transported to Eastern Europe through “soft” borders in their vast forests. Cars have also been tracked from France, across Europe, through Turkey and Northern Cyprus, where they disappear. There have even been reports of cars stolen from the UK and subsequently found as far as Nairobi and the Congo4.
How are they stolen?
Keyless start systems are a feature of many expensive luxury vehicles, which makes it easier for thieves to use specific hacking tools to enter and start the vehicle. By the time the owner of the car realises it has been stolen, the thieves have dismantled the car, or the whole car is already on its way overseas to be sold on the black market.
Mitigating the risks of car theft
Criminals often prefer an easy ride, so ensuring your car is protected to the best of your ability is advisable.
Rhys Evans, Head of Private Client Pricing at AVIVA states:
“Car theft has been increasing over the past 12 months, with a more recent trend seeing the theft of high value SUVs and exotic cars becoming more common. Global supply issues with these vehicles and their parts, along with the increased availability of illegal devices that can be used for theft, are driving this trend. We are also seeing the theft of vehicle models that we have never seen being stolen before, suggesting it’s not just a single manufacturer problem.
Our advice is to layer as much additional security on or around the vehicle as possible. Where possible park the vehicle in a garage or behind locked gates. Trackers and after-market immobilisers are also recommended, as are physical security devices such as steering wheel or pedal locks and bollards. It is also important that clients remember to maintain their subscription to tracking systems, and this is even more important if their insurance policy excludes theft if this subscription is not maintained.”
How does the high rate of car theft affect your insurance?
Ultimately a high rate of theft for a particular model could increase the insurance premiums for anyone that owns one of these cars, or make it more difficult to get insurance. In November 2021, Land Rover/Range Rover stopped offering insurance, and other insurers have also taken the decision not to offer cover for these vehicles. Of those that will offer cover, many have made dramatic changes to their terms; some refuse to insure Range Rovers unless they are part of a wider multi car policy, and others are applying very high premiums (being charged 4% or more of the vehicle value for a new Range Rover is not uncommon). A greatly increased theft excess has also been used and for many an S5 tracking device and an immobiliser is an absolute must.
As your broker we are here to assist you, and we continue to source cover for vehicles. We have access to a large panel of insurers, including specialist high value vehicle insurers, so please get in touch around any concerns or requirements you have around insuring your car.
If you are looking to insure your cars and would like to talk to one of our specialist advisers, email Miles at
m.brown@lloydwhyte.com
Alternatively, call
01823 761085
1-3. https://www.driving.org/ford-fiesta-thefts-skyrocket-by-53-in-2022-becomes-most-stolen-car-in-the-uk/
4. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5645159/Stolen-cars-left-soaking-taken-Eastern-Europe.html
5. https://www.elevate.insure/the-land-rover-theft-epidemic/
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