Judging by a new list, robbers in Aotearoa have an interesting preference for cars.
AMI Insurance has chucked us a list of New Zealand's most stolen cars from last year, and there are a few surprises amongst the top 10.
Toyota is the brand of car that appears the most on the list. Their Aqua is #1, the Corolla is #3 and the Mark X, Vitz and Hilux are #6, #7 and #10, respectively.
Filling out the top ten is the Nissan Tiida at #2, Mazda’s Demio and Atenza at #4 and #5, and Subaru’s Impreza and Legacy coming in at #8 and #9.
Aotearoa's Most Stolen Cars of 2023
- Toyota Aqua
- Nissan Tiida
- Toyota Corolla
- Mazda Demio
- Mazda Atenza
- Toyota Mark X
- Toyota Vitz
- Subaru Impreza
- Subaru Legacy
- Toyota Hilux
AMI also revealed that Auckland sees the most stolen vehicles, with around a third of the country’s car thefts being reported in the City of Sails. Canterbury and Waikato are up next, with 17% and 12% of NZ’s, respectively.
Cars are getting stolen at a higher rate than last year so it’s more important now to ensure your car is safe whenever you hop out of it.
“It’s concerning to see another year of elevated vehicle theft claims,” AMI’s general manager Wayne Tippet told 1News. “Unfortunately, the data highlights that we all need to adopt a security-minded approach when leaving our cars unattended.”
Car thieves are most active from 10 PM - 5 AM, so Wayne says to be extra, extra careful when parking your car overnight.
“With theft increasing after dark, those who can, should always park their cars in the driveway, lock the gate if they have one, or opt for a well-lit area if on-street parking is the only option,” said Tippet.
“Cars without advanced security features such as keyless ignitions, immobilisers, or alarms, or parked where a swift getaway is possible, have a higher risk of being stolen.”
At the end of the day, robbers are gonna rob, but with this list in hand, you might have a better chance of hanging on to your next set of wheels.
