Toyota’s stolen much more often this year than last year

Every six months, the National Intelligence and Expertise Center for Vehicle Crime (LIV) publishes a report containing the figures regarding vehicle theft in the Netherlands. This shows that in the first half of 2023 about the same number of cars were stolen as in the same period of 2022: 2,917 units. That is 1 percent more than last year’s 2,900 units, but significantly less than the 3,606 in reference year 2019 – many a thief changed ‘profession’ during the pandemic.

As sad as it is that last six months 2,900 people had to experience that their car had disappeared, there is one bright spot: more and more cars are being found. Where in 2019 36 percent of stolen cars ended up again, that percentage has been rising steadily ever since, and this year too. 42.2 percent of the 2,917 cars stolen in the past 6 months were recovered. About 40 percent of them are found within one day.

Many more Toyotas stolen

The increase in the number of stolen Toyotas is striking. That brand was also good for the title of ‘most stolen car brand’ last year, but this year many more (+ 18%) Toyotas were stolen than last year. That difference is solely attributable to the Toyota’s C-HR and the Rav4. From January to June, 124 C-HRs (in Jan-Jun 2024 2022: 62 units) and 316 Rav4s (in Jan-Jun 2022: 196 units) were stolen.

A total of 560 Toyotas were stolen in the past six months. Volkswagen ranks 2nd with 382 cases of theft, Peugeot (193 cases) 3rd, Ford (158 cases) 4th and Mercedes-Benz (157 cases) 5th.

Alfa Romeos are the most stolen on average

Toyotas may be the most stolen, but statistically speaking, Toyotas are not the most likely to be stolen. Toyota is in third place, as 1 in 1,188 Toyotas registered in the Netherlands was stolen last year. Group member Lexus – also with a lot of hybrid technology – is the number 2 (1 in 1,149 stolen), Alfa Romeo (1 in 1,035) the number 1. Of the Volkswagens, 1 in 2,913 registered cars was stolen this year.

Alfa Romeo scores high due to the popularity of the Stelvio, which is relatively the most stolen car. 1 in 105 Stelvios (16 of the 1,677 registered specimens) was stolen this year. 1 in 118 applies to the Toyota Rav4. Of all Toyotas stolen this year (560 in total), 487 were hybrids.

The highest concentration of car thefts can be found in the major cities and Limburg. Below are the top 5 most stolen models from January to June of this year:

1 in 105 Alfa Romeo Stelvio registered in the Netherlands was stolen in the past 6 months.