9:00 am, February 23, 2023
The Range Rover Sport has been named as the most commonly stolen and recovered car in the UK.
Data collected by stolen vehicle recovery expert, Tracker Network UK Limited uncovered a number of new trends among car thieves in 2022.
Firstly, EVs and hybrids are becoming more targeted than ever before, as their numbers continue to rise.
Meanwhile, the global semiconductor crisis has caused a rise in so-called ‘chop shops’, which are buildings containing stolen vehicles to be stripped down to allow their parts to be sold on the black market.
Tracker’s data revealed that a total of 32 chop shops were discovered by police last year.
In terms of models, the Range Rover Sport topped the stolen and recovered list after also taking the title in 2021.
The Lexus RX 450h also entered Tracker’s top ten – the first time a Lexus vehicle has ever appeared in its annual review of stolen and recovered vehicles. A sharp rise in thefts of the Lexus RX450h in the second half of the year indicates it’s likely to remain a target for thieves.
The Volkswagen Golf re-entered the top ten with an average value of £10k, having last appeared in 2017.
The highest value stolen car recovered by Tracker in 2022 was a Mercedes-Benz AMG with a retail price of £182,000 and the lowest value car recovered was an Audi A4, priced at £1,000.
Clive Wain, head of police liaison at Tracker said, ‘As the U.K. accelerates towards its ambition of achieving zero emissions, so too has the take up of hybrid and electric vehicles by private and company car drivers. And with increasing demand comes a greater risk of these vehicles being targeted by thieves.
‘Crucially however, our 2022 data highlights that it’s not just premium and nearly new cars being targeted by thieves.
‘An ongoing lack of parts for new car manufacturing – primarily microchips – has boosted demand in the second-hand car market and in turn, created an opportunity professional criminals have been quick to take advantage of.
‘Furthermore, a shortfall in vehicle parts supply has also hit the service, maintenance and repair sector, creating another lucrative opportunity for professional car thieves. 2022 saw a U.K. boom in chop shops – buildings containing stolen vehicles to be stripped down for their expensive parts to be sold on, on the black market.
‘Police uncovered 32 illegal chop shops in 2022 as a result of us locating stolen vehicles belonging to our customers being hidden there.
‘What’s more, these recoveries resulted in the police also uncovering 100s of non-Tracker fitted vehicles, as well as seize valuable vehicle parts worth millions of pounds.’
Keyless attacks continue to rise
The latest data also highlights the ever-growing problem of keyless car theft, which now makes up the vast majority of incidents.
In 2017, 80 per cent of all vehicles stolen and recovered were stolen without using the owner’s keys but that figure now stands at 93 per cent in 2022.
Wain added: ‘It remains a difficult time for car owners but a multi-layer approach to vehicle security will go a long way in protecting vehicles.
‘Criminals continue to find ways around new security technology, which is why we always encourage motorists to use traditional security deterrents such as crook locks and wheel clamps to deter criminals and protect their vehicles.
‘An investment in smart doorbells or a CCTV system are also increasingly popular amongst those keen to guard against unwanted visitors. Indeed, they have become a valuable means to helping police solve vehicle crime.
However, in the event of a theft, stolen vehicle tracking technology will significantly help police quickly locate the vehicle and return it to its rightful owner before it is sold on, broken down for parts or shipped abroad.’
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