According to leading industry sources in 2003/04 there were more than 279,000 reported cases of 'theft of' vehicle and 598,000 reported cases of 'theft from' vehicle. The true scale of theft from offences is much higher that this as many incidents are not reported to the police. The British Crime Survey estimates that there were around 1.3 million offences in 2003/2004.

Some makes and models of car are more attractive to thieves than others. Professional car thieves who are looking to supply the used car part market tend to target the more popular vehicles such as Vauxhalls, Fords, Citroens, Volkswagens and Hondas. These cars are unlikely to be recovered. Joy riders have a tendency to target the sporty models. Cars stolen by joy riders are usually found abandoned somewhere. Thieves who are looking to resell the vehicles are targeting the luxury models. Fifty percent of stolen vehicles are not recovered.

Older cars are generally much easier to steal than newer models as they tend to have poorer security devices. Cars built pre-1996 are at high risk of theft, those built after 1996 are low theft risk and cars built after 1999 are very low risk. Car thieves are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to steal prestige models which use the most hi-tech security systems. Professional criminals now target the car keys rather than the car to ensure the theft is successful.

What makes a car a good target for thief?
Leaving car unlocked: Always lock your vehicle even if you are stopping for only a few minutes. Cars left unlocked are prime targets for car thieves. Leaving you car unlocked will invalidate your car insurance.
Keys left in ignition: Never leave the keys in the ignition as this is only asking for trouble. Car insurance companies will not pay out if the keys have been left in the ignition.
Windows left open: Always make sure all the windows to the car are shut securely. Failure to do so allows easy access to thieves.
Valuables left in vehicle: Leaving valuables in you car will only entice the thief to break in. Always remove valuable items such as any cash, credit cards, jewellery and hand bags. If it is impossible to remove such items make sure that they are hidden out of sight or locked in the boot. Even if a bag does not contain any valuable items it is best to hide it away as the thief will only find that out once the break in damage has been done. If your audio system is removable make sure that you do not leave it in the car. If your vehicle contains work tools always remove them or install security devices. It is advisable to have a sign saying there are no tools in the vehicle.
No security devices: A car with no alarm, immobiliser or security lock will be far easier to break into. Even if the vehicle does not have any security devices it is worth putting stickers on saying this car is alarmed. This should act as a deterrent to the thieves. Car insurance premiums will be reduced if you vehicle is fitted with an alarm or immobiliser.
Parking in an isolated area: Avoid parking your car in insecure places. Always try and park in secure car parks or off the road if you can. If this is not possible park on well lit roads rather than back alleyways as there is more chance the thieves will be spotted.
Modifications: Any modifications you make to your car, such as alloy wheels, will make it more attractive to thieves.
Location: If you live in urban areas you are more likely to be targeted by car thieves that if you live in the countryside.

Cars of interest to thieves (according to the Car Theft Index 2004)

The Vauxhall Belmont was the car with the highest risk of theft in 2003. Other vehicles with a high risk of being targeted by thieves are:

• Ford fiestas pre 1994
• Vauxhall Corsa pre 1994
• Peugeot 106 XR 1998-2000
• Peugeot 205 GT/GTI 1992-1994
• Ford Escort all model pre 1994
• Vauxhall Astra Mk1/Mk2
• Nissan Sunny Pre 1989
• VW Golf Mk 1/Mk 2
• Ford Sierra pre 1994
• Audi S3/S4
• Honda Civic CRX pre 1991 (post 1991 medium risk)
• Mazda MX 3
• Land Rover Range Rover 2001-2003
• Renault Megane Scenic 2001-2003
• Toyota Rav 4 2001-2003

Cars with less risk of being stolen (according to the Car Theft Index 2004)

• Ford Ka post 1998
• Nissan Micra post 1998
• Renault Clio
• Skoda Fabia
• Toyota Yaris
• Citroen Xsara 1995-2003
• Peugeot 307 post 2001
• Subaru Legacy post 2001
• VW Passat
• Volvo S40/V40
• Audi Coupé 2001-2003
• Mercedes 500 2001-2003
• Skoda Superb
• BMW Z4
• Jaguar XK8
• Lotus Elan/Elite
• TVR
• Rolls Royce

Cars thieves would like to target

• Ferrari
  
• Subaru Impreza
  
• Honda Civic
  
• Bentley
  
• Audi TT
  
• Ford Escort Hatchback