Do You Know Which Cars Are Most Likely To Be Stolen?

The Ford Ka3 might be the least likely to be stolen as it lacks street cred amongst thieves and is perceived as cheap and with no power but which cars are most likely to be stolen?
And did you know, it’s not just the make of car, it’s what’s left in them that makes them attractive to thieves?

Customer data from Confused.com shows that amongst just over 9,000 Ford Ka3 owners, between 2004-11 none reported any incidences of theft – a fact that will help keep the cost of car insurance lower.

In contrast, the Toyota Yaris is the number one most stolen car, according to a study by insurance comparison site Confused.com with a 0.41% incidence of theft. This means that car thieves drive off with approximately one in every 244 Toyota Yaris.

After the Toyota Yaris, The Volkswagen Touareg, Volvo XC90, Porsche 911 and Seat Altea are the next most stolen cars.

According to Michael Fraser, security expert and ex-burglar working with Confused.com, “The cars that are much more likely to be targeted are the BMW 3.5, Jaguar XJ, Mercedes C Class, and Range Rover Sport.

“These are sought after by car thieves as they are very fast, powerful, hold the road well and are built well. Protection on these vehicles will be high so it’s about getting hold of the keys. Manufacturers should include a tracker on new vehicles as standard.”

Leaving valuable items on show in a car, such as sat navs or simply their holders, phone leads and briefcases help make a car attractive to a thief.

Although security technology makes it more difficult to hotwire new cars people make them easy targets by simply forgetting to lock them or being in a rush and leaving a window open.

And as Michael says “people often leave their car keys in the hallway, on the stairs, in handbags left downstairs or in the kitchen. In order to get the keys the thief will either go “letterbox fishing” for the keys or they will try the back door because so many people leave their back doors open.”

Confused.com tips from Michael Fraser:

• When parking on a road turn the wheels into the kerb and when in a car park turn the wheels towards another car: a car thief will avoid your car as it takes a lot more effort to move the vehicle.
• Drive into a drive and park rather than reverse in. Also turn the wheels.
• Don’t leave your car untidy as such vehicles attract the thieves because they indicate the owner is usually in a rush and is likely to have left something of value or forgotten to lock the car.
• New cars have built in chips in the key so without the key it’s harder to take the car.
• If a car has flowers painted on it or fluffy toys inside it’s not a car that is likely be stolen because it draws the wrong sort of attention and they tend to be cheaper cars.
• Cars with private plates are usually avoided as they are easy to spot on the road.
• All alarms are a deterrent but a thief will know how to bypass them – it depends how much they want that car.
• Use a driveway if possible as the thief has to come closer to you to take the car and they don’t like to do that that.
• Be warned – if there are no visible security signs, worn locks and/or the windows are slightly open or the doors not shut properly your car will be an invitation to a thief.

MoneyHighStreet comments: “Making a claim for a stolen car can be costly. First off there’s the financial loss due to the excess to be paid and potential loss of no claims bonus.  Next, unless you have GAP insurance you may also find there’s a ‘Gap’ between the value of your car as assessed by your insurer and the amount you still owe on it, perhaps to your bank for a car loan or to the garage on some from of hire purchase agreement.

“And that’s before even considering the emotional loss, which for some will be significant.

“Plus, with claims on stolen cars and of course personal injury claims being factors contributing to car insurance premiums rising, we all need to take steps to protect our vehicles.

“Some very helpful tips are listed above – some of which although quite obvious I hadn’t considered, for example simply turning your wheels to make it more difficult to move a car is a great one. Interesting too re having fluffy toys or flowers painted on the car – perhaps not helping the street cred for some but certainly one to consider!”