The 2017 league table from Tracker of Top Ten Most Stolen and Recovered Vehicles places the Mercedes-Benz C Class in poll position for the first time, rising from 4th place in 2016.
The BMW X5 drops to second place as it leaves the top spot for only the second time since 2011.
The 2016 Top Ten, like many previous years, was entirely dominated by prestige models from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Land Rover, but analysis of Tracker’s 2017 data sees Volkswagen enter the league table for the first time since the report was first published in 2011, with its VW Golf in 9th position.
The Land Rover Defender, which last rolled off the production line 2 years ago, has also disappeared from Tracker’s league table, having featured in the Top Ten for the first time in 2016, taking 9th position. Also proving less desirable amongst thieves is the Range Rover Vogue, which is no longer featured in the league table.
Tracker saw a 5% year-on-year increase in vehicle thefts and recoveries in 2017, with the total value of vehicles stolen recovered in 2017 exceeding 12.5 million. There has been a 30% increase in the number of stolen vehicles recovered by Tracker since 2014.
The average value of stolen vehicles has remained relatively static from 2016 to 2017, increasing slightly from £16,436 in 2016 to £16,977.26 last year. The most valuable stolen vehicle Tracker recovered in 2017 was a Rolls Royce Phantom worth around £120k, and the least valuable was a Vauxhall Signum Elite worth just £1,500. 30% of vehicles stolen in 2017 were worth less than £5,000, slightly up from 27% in 2016.
| Andy Barrs, Head of Police Liaison at Tracker said, “It’s fair to say that criminals continued to stay one step ahead of manufacturers in 2017. ‘Relay attack’ is one method car thieves increasingly adopted last year, which involves two criminals working together using an electronic signal relay to intercept a key fob signal from within the victim’s home. Cars are being stolen and driven off within seconds.
“80% of all vehicles stolen and recovered by Tracker in 2017 were stolen without using the owner’s keys, quite a significant increase from the 66% stolen by this means in 2016. Of course, a Tracker device won’t prevent your vehicle from being stolen, but if it is, it will significantly increase the chances of the vehicle being recovered quickly and returned by the police. “We have a unique partnership with UK police forces and 2017 saw our technology assist officers to make 47 arrests. Together, Tracker, car owners and the police are closing in on criminals and clamping down on vehicle theft.” |
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Unlike other stolen vehicle recovery devices, Tracker’s unique technology can locate vehicles anywhere, even when they are hidden in a garage or shipping container.
