Toyota dethroned VW for most stolen vehicles last year; Car thefts up 11%

Toyota took over the top spot for the most stolen brand from Volkswagen. Toyota saw the largest increase in theft, with 83 percent more Toyotas stolen than in 2021, the National Intelligence and Expertise Center for Motor Vehicle Crime (LIV) reported.

A total of 5,973 passenger cars were stolen in the Netherlands last year, 11 percent more than in 2021 but still well below the 7,107 cars stolen in pre-pandemic 2019. The recovery percentage remained the same as in 2021 at 45 percent.

According to the LIV, the sharp increase compared to 2021 likely has to do with the coronavirus restrictions. For large parts of 2021, people were stuck at home and, therefore, not parking their cars in easy-to-steal locations. The coronavirus restrictions were all scrapped early last year.

The Toyota RAV4 was the most stolen car last year, dethroning the VW Golf. A total of 465 RAV4s were stolen last year. The Toyota Auris was also a popular target, though this vehicle was mainly stolen for parts, the LIV said. Of the 193 stolen cars, 73 percent were recovered without a catalytic converter.

The theft of electric and hybrid vehicles increased by a staggering 74 percent to 1,002. With 771 units, this increase is almost entirely attributable to Toyota.

Like in previous years, thieves mainly targeted older passenger cars of 3, 4, and 5 years old. They accounted for 27 percent of car thefts last year. Thieves stole 18 percent more passenger cars older than 20 years. The theft of new cars up to 3 years old decreased by 8 percent.

Theft also increased in other vehicle types. The theft of light commercial vehicles increased by 23 percent to 1,394 units. Thirteen percent more motorcycles (1,694) and 27 percent more scooters and mopeds (12,590) were stolen. In total, thieves stole 18,562 registered vehicles last year, 39 percent of which were recovered.