The most stolen cars in the UK
54,830 reported thefts in 2025, about 150 a day, in DVLA figures What Car? obtained. Here are the ten models with the most thefts, how those thefts split by generation, and how to check that a used car you're buying isn't stolen.
By Michał Żelazko
Car enthusiast
Updated
First published
Quick answer
The Ford Fiesta was the UK's most stolen car in 2025, with 3,511 taken, in DVLA figures What Car? obtained. The Volkswagen Golf (1,625) and Ford Focus (1,474) came next. These are counts, not theft rates, so models with many cars on the road rank high.
Key takeaways
- The Ford Fiesta was the UK's most stolen car in 2025, with 3,511 taken, more than twice as many as the Volkswagen Golf in second place.
- In eight of the top 10, an older generation made up the largest share of thefts, though these are shares, not theft rates, and the Toyota RAV4 and Lexus NX went the other way.
- Before you buy, match the car to its V5C logbook and check whether it's recorded as stolen, because the police will try to return a stolen car to its owner.
See what CarCanny finds on the car you're looking at.
What are the most stolen cars in the UK?
The Ford Fiesta, by a wide margin, then the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. The table gives the ten models with the most thefts in 2025, and the generation thieves took most of each.
| Rank | Model | Stolen in 2025 | Generation stolen most |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Fiesta | 3,511 | 2008–2017, 86% of Fiesta thefts |
| 2 | Volkswagen Golf | 1,625 | 2013–2020, 49.9% |
| 3 | Ford Focus | 1,474 | 2011–2018, 56% |
| 4 | Toyota RAV4 | 1,319 | 2019–2025, 94.6% |
| 5 | BMW 3 Series | 1,249 | 2012–2019, 42% |
| 6 | Nissan Juke | 1,200 | 2010–2019, 87.9% |
| 7 | Toyota C-HR | 967 | 2016–2023, 97% |
| 8 | Lexus NX | 951 | An even split: current model 50.4%, 2014–2021 model 49.6% |
| 9 | Range Rover Evoque | 895 | 2011–2018, 83% |
| 10 | Vauxhall Corsa | 874 | 2006–2014, almost 40% |
Source: What Car?, "The most stolen cars in the UK", updated 18 February 2026. Method: What Car? counted the vehicles of each model recorded as stolen in 2025 in DVLA data it obtained with a Freedom of Information request. It counts thefts, not thefts per car on the road. What Car?'s write-up gives 1,348 RAV4s and 1,319 3 Series cars; we show the figures in its table, and the order is the same either way. The total depends on what is counted: a separate QuestGates analysis of DVLA data for 2025 gives 53,629 private cars and 90,625 vehicles of all types.
Are older or newer cars stolen more?
For eight of the top 10, an older generation made up the largest share of thefts. These are shares, not rates, so they partly reflect how many of each generation are on the road, and they can't show that one is more at risk. What Car? also says most cars stolen in 2025 were only a couple of years old, which these figures don't test. What Car?'s figures for 2025 show:
- Ford Fiesta: models from 2008 to 2017 made up 86% of Fiesta thefts. Fiesta thefts fell 21%, from 4,446 in 2024.
- Ford Focus: the 2011–2018 model made up 56% of Focus thefts, and the 2019–2026 model, which has added security, 23% (334 cars).
- Toyota C-HR: 97% were the 2016–2023 model. The 2024-on model, which can be locked and unlocked with a phone's digital key, made up 3%.
- Range Rover Evoque: 83% were the 2011–2018 model. Evoque thefts fell 18% from 2024, and Land Rover offers owners of 2016–2019 Evoques free key fob batteries that stop the key's signal when it's left still, and is adding newer security to 2018–2019 cars.
- Toyota RAV4: an exception, with the Lexus NX. The 2019–2025 model made up 94.6% of RAV4 thefts, and just over half of those were registered in 2020 and 2021.
Which car brands are stolen most?
Ford, with 7,677 cars stolen in 2025, then BMW (5,489), Toyota (4,518), Mercedes (3,992) and Land Rover (3,690). These totals come from the same What Car? figures, and they include some cars the DVLA listed without a model.
What happens if you buy a stolen car?
You're likely to lose the car. Citizens Advice says to hand stolen goods to the police, who'll try to return them to their owner, and not to keep them or give them back to the seller yourself. Its advice for England says you have a right to a full refund from the seller, though you may need a court claim to get it.
A cloned car is a stolen or salvaged car wearing the plates of a genuine car, usually of the same make and model, sometimes with a fake V5C or an altered VIN, the RAC explains. It says a buyer who unknowingly buys one is likely to lose both the car and the money paid. Because a clone carries a genuine car's identity, a check of its plate returns the genuine car's record, so you also have to check that the car matches it.
How do I check a used car isn't stolen?
Check the record, then check that the car and its logbook match it.
Run a free check on the plate
Our free check shows the colour, engine size and plate on the car's record, to compare with the car and its V5C logbook. A mismatch can mean a cloned car.
Inspect the V5C
GOV.UK says it should have a 'DVL' watermark, and its serial number shouldn't fall between BG8229501 and BG9999030, or BI2305501 and BI2800000. If it does, the V5C might be stolen: call the police when it's safe to. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Match the VIN and engine number
Check that they match the V5C. The RAC adds that the VINs on the car, under the bonnet, on the dashboard and on the driver's door post, should all match each other.
See the car at the keeper's address
The RAC advises viewing the car at the address on the V5C, not in a lay-by or a service station.
Check it isn't recorded as stolen
Do this before you pay, and pay in a traceable way rather than in cash, as the RAC advises.
CarCanny's free check covers the logbook match. The full report adds the stolen check, along with finance, write-off, mileage and the rest of its 18 checks. The stolen check reads recorded or clear, or "Not checked" if the record didn't come back. Clear means no theft is on record for that plate, and a clone shows the genuine car's record. A car recorded as stolen gets "Don't buy this car." at the top.
Frequently asked questions
What are the top 10 most stolen cars?
In DVLA figures for 2025, published by What Car?: the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Toyota RAV4, BMW 3 Series, Nissan Juke, Toyota C-HR, Lexus NX, Range Rover Evoque and Vauxhall Corsa, in that order. The Fiesta led with 3,511 stolen.
Which cars are hardest to steal?
The DVLA figures don't rate how hard each car is to steal. What Car? says the 2024-on Toyota C-HR's digital key appears to be effective, as that model made up 3% of C-HR thefts in 2025, but that's a share, not a theft rate, and it doesn't show how many of each generation are on the road.
Which cars are the least likely to be stolen in the UK?
In What Car?'s 2025 DVLA figures, supercars were among the fewest stolen: six McLarens, seven Aston Martins, 17 Ferraris and 18 Lamborghinis. These are counts, and few of these cars are on the road, so they don't show how likely any one car is to be stolen.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Check a used vehicle you're buying(opens in a new tab)
- What Car?: The most stolen cars in the UK, from DVLA data (updated 18 February 2026)(opens in a new tab)
- QuestGates: Analysis of DVLA data on the UK's most stolen car makes and models in 2025 (11 February 2026)(opens in a new tab)
- Citizens Advice: If you think you've bought stolen goods(opens in a new tab)
- RAC: What is car cloning? Buyers beware of this scam (16 October 2026)(opens in a new tab)
The ideas for our guides come from people on our team. We use AI tools to help research, draft and edit them, and the named author reads each one before it's published.
Written by
Michał Żelazko
Car enthusiast at CarCanny
Michał works at vlayer, the company behind CarCanny, and is a motoring fan after hours.
