Published November 2026.
Car thieves rarely need your keys any more. With electronic kits sold online, they can open and start many keyless cars in under a minute, often without a mark on the car. Here are the latest figures, the most stolen models, how the attacks work, what actually stops them, and how to make sure you never buy a stolen car.
How many cars are stolen in the UK?
Police in England and Wales recorded 312,231 vehicle offences in the year to June 2026, down 7% on the year before; that figure covers thefts of and from vehicles. DVLA data obtained by What Car? shows 54,830 vehicles recorded as stolen in 2025, down 11%. Figures from different sources count different things, but the trend is the same: thefts are falling from their peak, while the methods are getting more technical.
The most stolen cars of 2025
| Model | Thefts in 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford Fiesta | 3,511 |
| 2 | Volkswagen Golf | 1,625 |
| 3 | Ford Focus | 1,474 |
| 4 | Toyota RAV4 | 1,319 |
| 5 | BMW 3 Series | 1,249 |
| 6 | Nissan Juke | 1,200 |
| 7 | Toyota C-HR | 967 |
| 8 | Lexus NX | 951 |
| 9 | Range Rover Evoque | 895 |
| 10 | Vauxhall Corsa | 874 |
Source: DVLA data for 2025, obtained by What Car? under freedom of information. These are numbers of thefts, not theft rates: the Fiesta tops the list partly because there are so many on the road.
How keyless car theft works
- Relay attacks: one thief holds a device near your house, picking up the faint signal from the key fob inside. It relays the signal to an accomplice standing by the car, which unlocks and starts as if the key were there.
- CAN injection (“headlight” attacks): thieves get into the car’s internal wiring from outside, often by removing a headlight, and plug in a device that tells the car to unlock and start. It doesn’t need the key at all, so a signal-blocking pouch won’t stop it.
- Signal jammers: these block the fob’s lock signal as you walk away, so the car is left open.
- Key programming: once inside, thieves can use the diagnostic (OBD) port to program a new key.
How to protect a keyless car
- Keep keys in a signal-blocking (Faraday) pouch or tin, away from the front door. Test it: with the key inside, walk up to the car; it shouldn’t unlock.
- Switch off keyless entry if your car’s settings allow it, and use the button on the fob instead.
- Use a steering lock rated by Sold Secure. Thieves want speed, and a visible lock costs them time.
- Fit an OBD port lock, or ask a specialist to relocate the port.
- Fit a tracker (Thatcham-rated S5 or S7) on a high-risk model, which helps police recover the car.
- Garage the car or park it out of sight where you can, and keep the car’s software up to date.
- Bought a used car? Ask a dealer to reprogram the keys, so no old spare key still works.
Freezers and microwaves don’t work as signal blockers, and wrapping keys in foil is unreliable.
The new law on theft devices
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 creates offences of possessing, making, importing or supplying an electronic device for stealing vehicles, with up to five years in prison. It became law on 29 April 2026, but the vehicle device offences have not come into force yet; the government will set a start date.
Where stolen cars end up, and why buyers should care
Many stolen cars are shipped abroad in containers or broken up in chop shops for parts: police and the tracking company Tracker shut down 78 illegal chop shops in 2025. Others are cloned, given the identity of a similar legitimate car, and sold privately online. Avon and Somerset Police seized at least one cloned car a week in the past year, and warn that a buyer can lose both the car and the money they paid.
How to avoid buying a stolen car
- Run a stolen car check before you pay. Our Silver and Gold checks search police and insurer stolen records.
- Check the VIN on the car matches the V5C logbook, in more than one place on the car.
- See the car at the seller’s home, check their ID matches the V5C, and ask why there’s only one key if there is.
- Don’t pay cash, and be wary of a price well below what similar cars sell for.
A clean check is essential, but it isn’t everything: a theft reported very recently, or a well-cloned car, may not show up yet. That’s why the VIN, logbook and seller checks matter as much as the history check.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most stolen car in the UK?
The Ford Fiesta, with 3,511 thefts recorded by the DVLA in 2025, followed by the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.
Do Faraday pouches stop car theft?
They stop relay attacks, which rely on the key’s signal. They don’t stop CAN injection attacks, so combine a pouch with a steering lock.
Can thieves steal a keyless car without the key?
Yes. A relay attack copies the key’s signal from inside your home, and a CAN injection attack bypasses the key altogether.
Is it illegal to own a car theft device?
The Crime and Policing Act 2026 makes it an offence, with up to five years in prison, but that part of the Act hasn’t come into force yet.
Sources
- ONS: Crime in England and Wales, year ending June 2026 (22 October 2026)
- Car Dealer Magazine: Ford Fiesta named Britain’s most stolen car (20 February 2026)
- Crime and Policing Act 2026, section 149
- Thatcham Research on the Crime and Policing Act 2026 (30 April 2026)
- Avon and Somerset Police: cloned vehicles warning (September 2026)
- Tracker: illegal chop shops shut down in 2025 (24 April 2026)
Make sure a car isn’t recorded as stolen before you buy it, with our stolen car check.
