Australia’s most commonly stolen car is revealed as more than 47,000 vehicles are nicked around the country this year alone – so is your model on the hit list?
- Holden Commodore VEs were the most common make of car stolen in 2021
- More motor vehicles stolen in Brisbane than anywhere else, Gold Coast next
- There were 131 car thefts per day in the past year, down from the previous year
- Various Toyota HiLux models are very popular with Australian car thieves
If you own a Holden Commodore VE in one of Queensland’s biggest cities you probably should lock it up as soon as possible, though just putting it in the garage may not be enough.
The most stolen car in Australia this year has been revealed as a Holden Commodore VE while Queensland’s biggest towns were the major hotspots for motor vehicle theft.
Across Australia 131 cars were stolen on average each day over the last year – well down on the previous year.
The most stolen car in Australia this year has been revealed as a Holden Commodore VE, while there has been an increase in the number of cars stolen from homes – including garages
Australia’s hottest city for hot cars: more cars were stolen in Brisbane than any other city in the country in the last year
Toyota HiLux models were extremely popular with Australia’s car thieves in 2020 and 2021
Holden Commodore VEs released between 2006 and 2013 models were taken 898 times in 2020-21, topping the list of cars stolen most often for short-term theft and for profit.
Toyota HiLux models built between 2005 and 2011 were taken 527 times, making it the second most pinched vehicle, ahead of Ford Ranger PX 2011 models.
Those particular Fords were nicked on 495 occasions.
Overall 47,803 cars were stolen in 2020-21, with Queensland the hottest state for hot motor vehicles.
Brisbane was the city with the most car thefts in Australia – 2,371 in the past year.
The Gold Coast was next, with 1,599 car thefts, ahead of Townsville with 815 thefts.
While car thefts across Australia have steadily declined since 2016 after peaking at 57,000, the trends showed car thefts from people’s homes are actually on the rise.
The statistics suggest criminals are getting smarter, with more car thefts than ever being stolen from garages.
‘There has been a gradual increase in recent years in the proportion of motor vehicle thefts taken from residential locations (including dwellings and residential shed/garages),’ said a report by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council.
In 2020-21, 55 per cent of all car thefts occurred from homes, compared to 52 per cent five years ago.
Statistics from police reports, insurers and registrations suggest criminals are getting smarter, with more car thefts than ever being stolen from garages
1600 cars were stolen on the Gold Coast in the last year, making it the second most popular town in Australia to pinch motor vehicles
Ford Ranger PX 2011 models were the third-most stolen car in Australia in 2021
The data comes from the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council’s latest report into stolen vehicles.
The data was compiled from police incident and recovery reports, registered vehicle information, and policy and claim details from insurers.
Of cars stolen, 72 per cent were recovered – with authorities in Victoria and South Australia most likely to find missing vehicles.
The fourth-most stolen cars were Holden Captiva CGs made between 2006 and 2019 taken 404 times in 2021.
The fourth-most stolen cars were Holden Captiva CGs made between 2006 and 2019 taken 404 times in 2021