Black Land Rovers overtake blue Fords in car theft stakes

Black Land Rovers are the most commonly stolen vehicle while Ford remains the most commonly stolen brand, according to a review of Tesco Bank’s car theft claims.

Black, grey and white cars are also the most commonly claimed for while car theft claims are highest in Birmingham, London and Sheffield, with claims peaking between midnight and 7am (36%).

Ford cars account for nearly a fifth (17%) of theft claims, according to analysis of Tesco Bank’s internal data. Land Rovers take second place, accounting for 11% of claims, followed by Mercedes (10%), BMWs (8%) and Vauxhalls (8%). 

Tesco Bank  added that it’s not the latest models that are the most targeted, as cars between 5-8 years are responsible for 40% of claims, with cars manufactured in 2016 most likely to be stolen, making up 12% of claims in 2022/23.

In terms of the colour of cars that are most tageted, black vehicles rank first. This colour accounts for a quarter (26%) of all claims made to Tesco Bank’s Car Insurance claims team in 2022/23, followed by grey (19%) and white (17%).

“Owners of black Land Rovers should be paying the most attention to potential thieves, with thefts of this combination of make and colour accounting for 4% of all claims, very closely followed by blue Fords,” it said.

Tesco Bank Car Insurance data also reveals that Birmingham is a hotspot for car thefts, accounting for 8% of all claims made, followed by London (7%) and Sheffield (6%).

Drivers also need to be wary that some makes and models are targeted due to their expensive parts. “While there is a slowing trend in catalytic converter theft, other car parts have become a target. Tesco Bank’s data indicates a growing incidence of BMWs being broken into and having the steering wheel stolen, with replacements costing thousands of pounds,” it said.  

Dave Thompson, claims director at Tesco Bank, commented: “While Land Rovers are sought after and can be sold on quickly, some models like Fords can be broken down pretty much overnight and sold on for parts the next morning. And while the precious metals in catalytic converters aren’t fetching as much as they once did, thieves are turning to other high value parts such as the steering wheels in BMWs."