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REVEALED: Australia's most commonly stolen cars

This year, more than 47,000 cars were stolen in Australia, but there is one car which is nabbed more frequently than any other.

According to CheckTheCar.com.au, part of technology company Dye & Durham, the most popular target of car thefts from the streets of Australia in 2021 was the Holden Commodore VE (MY06-13) with 898 thefts.

Among the other car models listed in the top five, based off data from The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, were the Ford Ranger PX MY11+ and Toyota Hilux MY05-11.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Rafe Berding, head of CheckTheCar.com.au, said one likely reason these car models are constantly being stolen is because of their age.

A silver Holden commodore.
The Holden Commodore topped the list of the most commonly stolen car. Source: ProductReview
A Toyota Hilux ute parked on grass.
Older model Toyota Hiluxs are also a major target of theives. Source: Product Review

“It is usually because they are older model cars, so the easier the car to break into or the older the model is usually the higher frequency of theft,” Mr Berding said.

“And to add weight to that, obviously the more popular the vehicle, the law of averages would say that that is going to be stolen more.”

'Horror stories' from unchecked private sales

Buyers are being warned to beware when purchasing cars privately, because if it's stolen or there is finance still owing on the vehicle, it could be repossessed.

“We regularly hear horror stories where a buyer has had their car towed, all because it still technically belonged to the bank, and the previous owner failed to pay their bills,” he said.

“The main reason why we're warning people now is we're seeing a huge influx in the amount of second hand cars that are being bought and sold in Australia and that's really because of Covid-19 and the effect that it's having on imports as well.”

Rafe Berding stands in a suit with his arms folded in front of a white Range Rover.
Rafe Berding is warning buyers to beware of buying stolen cars. Source: Supplied

Mr Berding said the most important thing Aussies should do before they purchase a second-hand car through a private sale is to do a car check online.

This will ensure that your car won’t be repossessed, he said.

“You don't want to buy a stolen car, you don't want to buy a car that has been involved in a major accident. And just by entering a registration number you can make sure you're protecting yourself so that you're not buying a car that is owned by somebody else or that has been stolen.”

Interestingly, the top three locations with the highest number of thefts were all in Queensland; Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Townsville.

The recovery rate of vehicles stolen in 2020/2021 was 72 per cent.

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