The Range Rover Sport has been revealed to have been both the most commonly stolen and recovered car in 2021.
The stats were revealed by Tracker Network UK Limited, the stolen vehicle recovery experts, and marked the third year in a row that the car has come top.
In fact, the data found that seven Range Rover and Land Rover models accounted for 44% of the stolen cars that Tracker recovered last year. After this, the next nearest make was Mercedes-Benz, which made up 18%.
The rise of keyless car entry systems has led to keyless theft reaching a new high too. It was found that 94% of the vehicles Tracker recovered during 2021 were stolen by a thief who didn’t have the keys.
The list includes numerous tow cars that were listed in the Practical Caravan Awards for the best tow car over 2000kg, including the BMW X5, which now finds itself in fifth place for 2021, having previously topped the table six times over the last decade. The Audi Q7 made its first appearance, coming in tenth place, while the Audi A4 returned for the first time since 2011.
Clive Wain, Head of Police Liaison for Tracker, commented: “2021 was another busy year for car thieves. Due to the pandemic, global demand for car parts created a boom in ‘chop-shops’ – buildings which house stolen vehicles for stripping down so their expensive parts can be sold on. In addition, the lack of parts for new car manufacturing resulted in a surge of sales in the second-hand car market, creating a lucrative business for car thieves to fill the shortage.”
“Prestige models have always been the go-to for criminals who exploit the demand for these desirable cars in territories like Europe, Middle East and Africa. We are continuously intercepting shipping containers packed with stolen vehicles at ports around the country and 2021 was no different. However, due to the pandemic lower value cars have also seen an increase in theft rates.”
He added: “Whatever the value of a car, an important barrier to stop thieves is using traditional physical security devices like steering wheel locks and wheel clamps. In addition, placing the key fob into a signal blocking pouch which is lined with layers of metallic material, will stop a key’s signal from being intercepted by would-be thieves. However, thieves are increasingly determined and employ sophisticated methods too. In the event of a vehicle being stolen, an SVR solution will significantly increase the chances of it being quickly recovered and returned before it’s sold on, stripped for parts or shipped abroad.”
The 10 most commonly stolen and recovered cars in 2021 were:
- Range Rover Sport
- Range Rover Autobiography
- Land Rover Discovery
- Range Rover Vogue
- BMW X5
- Range Rover Evoque
- Mercedes-Benz-E-Class
- Land Rover Defender, BMW X6, Mercedes Benz S-Class, Mercedes-Benz GL
- Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW M3, Audi Q7
Follow our guide to caravan security to make sure your van stays safe and secure.
If you’re looking for a towing vehicle, be sure to check out our guides to the best used tow car and the best tow car, where we reveal our top choices to suit all budgets.
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