NZ’s Most Stolen Cars

Over the last six months (to 13/02/23), 4964 cars, motorbikes, trucks, trailers and utes were stolen in NZ, down 10% from around 5500 in the first half of last year. Discard the bikes and trailers and the number is approximately 3634 vehicles, which averages out to about 20 cars, trucks and utes nicked every day. But which are the most stolen vehicles in New Zealand, and how can you stop becoming a car crime victim? Canstar explores:

Most stolen cars in NZ

On the lists of most stolen cars there are always the perennial popular family runabouts. Think the Toyota Corolla, the Mazda Atenza and Demio models and the Nissan Tiida. And, looking at the latest NZ Police figures, family cars are the most stolen. The most commonly stolen types of car are station wagons/SUVs, saloons and hatchbacks:

Compare Outstanding Value Car Insurance with Canstar

Looking for great value car insurance for you and your family? Each year, we release our car insurance awards, including winners for Insurer of the Year, Outstanding Value, and Most Satisfied Customers. As part of our award results, we also publish our Outstanding Value Star Ratings, covering car insurance for different age groups. Below are our top-rated providers in the drivers aged 30-49 category. Click here to view our complete car insurance Star Ratings for all age groups.

Comprehensive Cover: Drivers 30-49:

Provider	Star Rating

See here for our ratings methodology. The table above is an abridged version of our research. For the full results of our latest Car Insurance Ratings and Award, click here.

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Most stolen car brands in NZ

And of the brands stolen, it’s no surprise that the big names dominate:

Other brands stolen:

Most stolen car models in NZ

But, overall, tradies’ vehicles are the biggest magnets for thieves, who target tools and work gear. But since utes are usually considered work vehicles, they’re often left off many lists of most stolen passenger vehicles. This is despite the number of utes (especially twin cabs) being used as family wagons.

And, as you can see from our list of top stolen vehicles, two of the three are utes, and the other, the Hiace, is your typical white van.

The top makes and models targeted by thieves in the six months to Feb 13, 2024:

But before you despair about car crime, one important factor links all the car thefts listed above: the age of the cars taken. The vast majority of the cars and utes stolen were pre-2012 models (84%), 15% were registered between 2012-19, and just a few (1%) were recent 2020+ models.

What this says about the nature of car crime is that new cars with sophisticated security systems are a lot harder to steal, and therefore less of a target for young joyriders. It’s worth noting that not one Tesla was stolen … although two 2023 BYD Atto 3 EVs made the list!

How to deter car thieves

Of course, if you’re a criminal looking to break into cars, you are going to target places where there are lots of unattended automobiles, and where your presence isn’t going to attract too much attention: think busy car parks. But while the average motorist can’t avoid parking in such places, there are steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of car crime:

• If you’ve an older car without an immobiliser or alarm use a steering-wheel lock. In fact, a steering-wheel lock is a good deterrent for modern cars, too. As keyless entry systems can be hacked by tech-savvy car thieves
• Always ensure your car is locked
• Try to park in a busy area, with surveillance cameras if possible
• Park in a secure garage overnight, instead of on the street
• Don’t leave valuables in your car
• Don’t leave worthless items in your car that could attract thieves – for example, an empty bag or briefcase

Compare Outstanding Value Car Insurance with Canstar

Looking for great value car insurance for you and your family? Each year, we release our car insurance awards, including winners for Insurer of the Year, Outstanding Value, and Most Satisfied Customers. As part of our award results, we also publish our Outstanding Value Star Ratings, covering car insurance for different age groups. Below are our top-rated providers in the drivers aged 30-49 category. Click here to view our complete car insurance Star Ratings for all age groups.

Comprehensive Cover: Drivers 30-49:

Provider	Star Rating

See here for our ratings methodology. The table above is an abridged version of our research. For the full results of our latest Car Insurance Ratings and Award, click here.

Compare Car Insurance

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar’s Editor, Bruce Pitchers. Bruce has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in the UK and Australasia, including ACP, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. Prior to Canstar, he worked as a freelancer, including for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority, and for real estate companies on both sides of the Tasman.