AMI, a general insurer, has revealed that the Toyota Aqua is the most stolen car in New Zealand for the second year in a row.
“It’s concerning to see another year of elevated vehicle theft claims and, unfortunately, the data highlights that we all need to adopt a security-minded approach when leaving our cars unattended,” said Wayne Tippet, AMI’s executive general manager claims.
According to the insurer’s new insurance data, there were nearly 17,000 vehicle theft claims in the past year. It further found that 2023 was the second highest year for vehicle theft in the past five years.
“We are seeing a consistent similarity in the price of commonly stolen vehicles too, usually no more than $5,000 in value. These seemingly cost-friendly cars are typically 10 years or older,” said Tippet.
Cars that were manufactured in 2005 were the top cars that were often issued for theft insurance claims, which was followed by 2006 and 2014.
The Nissan Tiida took the spot of the second most stolen car and was followed by Toyota Corolla, which was the eighth most stolen car in 2022. Auckland still held the highest number of stolen cars, with more than a third of New Zealand’s vehicle theft occurring within the city. This was followed by Canterbury and Waikato.
Tippet noted that thieves were still looking for cars that were easy to steal such as those that did not have advanced security features like keyless ignitions, immobilisers or alarms as well as those cars that were parked where it would be easy to make a quick getaway.
Vehicle theft rates were found to peak between 10 pm and 5 am.
“With theft increasing after dark, those who can, should always park their cars in the driveway, lock the gate if they have one, or opt for a well-lit area if on-street parking is the only option,” said Tippet.
“Steering locks still remain a cost-friendly security measure and effective deterrent for thieves,” he added.
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