Latest Driver and Vehicle Licensing agency (DVLA) data shows a 4.5% decline in UK car thefts and a 2.3% increase in recoveries year-on-year for 2024.
Specialist motor insurance loss adjuster Claims Management & Adjusting (CMA), which is part of the QuestGates group, acknowledged the role of the police and car manufacturers in reducing car thefts. CMA technical director Philip Swift (pictured above) said the police deserved “great credit” because despite their stretched resources, the percentage of successfully recovered stolen cars by the police increased last year, as did the number of cars recovered within seven days.
“For the first time since the pandemic, the annual DVLA stolen vehicle figures contained some much-needed good news for both the public and the UK motor insurance industry,” Swift said.
Car Theft and Recovery Figures (UK, 2023-24)
|
Year |
Total Cars Stolen |
Total Cars Recovered |
% Recovered within 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2023 |
65,905 |
26,765 |
19.71% |
|
2024 |
62,980 |
27,015 |
20.27% |
Source: CMA analysis of DVLA data
According to the DVLA data, the most frequently stolen models last year were the Ford Fiesta, VW Golf and Ford Focus, while thefts of Range Rovers declined.
“From an insurance perspective, this is a welcome return to the numbers game,” Swift commented. “[P]opular models topping the chart simply because there are more of them, rather than certain cars being seen as soft targets.” He added that the latest security upgrades from the prestige vehicle manufacturers seem to be working, “for now.”
Swift also noted the discrepancy between the headline figure provided by DVLA, which noted that 106,000 vehicles were reported stolen in the UK in 2024, including cars, vans, motorcycles and others, while the Office for National Statistics put the number at 130,000. Swift said the difference could be due to data processes.
“Over the coming weeks we will be undertaking more in-depth analysis of the figures,” he said.
