UK's car theft hot spots revealed

There are massive differences in the likelihood of your car being stolen depending on where you live. Although the highest number of cars were stolen from the Greater London area - a whopping 14,106 vehicles - it’s the West Midlands that’s the worst place relative to its population.

According to our data, 7694 cars were stolen from the West Midlands, representing 2.64 car thefts for every 1000 people living in the region. While Greater London had almost twice as many car thefts overall, three times as many people live in the area (8.9 million vs 2.9 million in the West Midlands) and that means its theft rate is 1.58 cars per 1000 people.

In contrast, the best place for safe car ownership in England is Cumbria, closely followed by Norfolk. Only 84 cars were stolen in Cumbria in 2024, equating to 0.17 per 1000 people, and 166 cars were taken in Norfolk, which works out at 0.18 per 1000 people.

Elsewhere in the UK car theft rates are lower than those for England, and your car is less likely to be stolen if yoi live in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Our data shows that the vast majority of thefts took place in England (50,734) and those equate to 0.92 cars taken for every 1000 people. In contrast, 1462 cars were taken in Scotland, equating to 0.46 per 1000 people, and the corresponding figures for Wales are 1305 thefts, which is 0.24 per 1000 people. However, Northern Ireland is the area with the lowest rate of car thefts per population overall, with 213 cars taken, 0.11 per 1000 people.

Where are most exotic cars stolen from?

Overall, 61, 343 cars were stolen in 2024, according to DVLA data, with the Ford Fiesta the most frequently stolen model, with 4446 examples taken.

However, a small proportion of stolen cars were exotic models, and nine out of the 10 most expensive cars stolen in 2024 were taken from England, and three of those were from the Greater London area, so owners of exotic models need to seriously consider car security. The home counties - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey - are also frequently targeted by thieves.

What’s the oldest car stolen in 2024?

The oldest car stolen last year was a 1939 Hillman. While the DVLA data doesn’t state which model it was, it’s likely to have been a Minx because this was the brand’s most popular model of that era.

Other classics to be taken by thieves included a 1952 Morris (again no model specified), and a 1953 Sunbeam-Talbot (likely a 90).

Older cars are generally less popular with thieves. Less than 500 cars first registered in 2000 or earlier were stolen, but this number climbs steeply when you look at newer cars: 1018 cars dating from 2006 were taken, and 5590 cars from 2016 were targeted by thieves; the latter is the worst age of car to own if you’re concerned about theft.

Overall, cars aged between four and 12 years old are the most likely to be vulnerable, while newer cars are less susceptible to thieves: only 648 cars from 2024 were taken in total last year.

The most exotic models stolen include a 2024 Ferrari Purosangue worth £375,000, a 2023 Rolls Royce Cullinan worth £270,000 and a 2024 ​​Lamborghini Huracan worth around £250,000. One of the rarest of the more mainstream models to be taken was a 2014 Ford Freda camper van.

Car theft by country / region

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Read more: The most expensive cars stolen in 2024