Beware, Mazda Demio owners: your car isn't just popular among customers, but thieves as well.
AMI Insurance has revealed their data for insurance claims received for vehicle thefts over the past three years, with the Japanese hatchback taking out top spot for the most stolen car in New Zealand.
The Mazda Demio accounts for 10 percent of claims, despite the car making up just 1.5 percent of the country's fleet. The second-most stolen car was Mazda Atenza, while third place goes to Nissan Tiida.
Regionally, Auckland had the highest number of thefts with 39 percent of all claims, even though it only makes up 31 percent of the nation's fleet.
Auckland experienced almost double the number of vehicle thefts (4489 claims) as the runner-up region Canterbury (2074 claims).
Top 10 most stolen vehicles across New Zealand*:
Mazda Demio – 1,176 claims
Mazda Atenza (also known as Mazda6) – 774 claims
Nissan Tiida – 700 claims
Subaru Legacy – 458 claims
Mazda Familia – 456 claims
Subaru Impreza – 387 claims
Toyota Hilux – 384 claims
Ford Courier – 264 claims
Subaru Forester – 237 claims
Honda Civic – 187 claims
* Based on AMI Insurance motor claims data from 2019-2021. Cars are ranked from highest frequency of theft to lowest.
The most frequently stolen vehicle in each region:
Northland – Toyota Hilux
Auckland – Nissan Tiida
Waikato – Mazda Atenza
Taranaki – Mazda Demio
Bay of Plenty – Mazda Demio
East Coast – Mazda Atenza
Manawatu – Mazda Atenza
Hawkes Bay – Mazda Demio
Wairarapa – Ford Courier
Wellington – Mazda Demio
Nelson – Mazda Demio
West Coast – Toyota Hilux
Canterbury – Toyota Hilux
Otago – Mazda Demio
Southland – Mazda Demio
The new data comes as the cost of second-hand cars trends upwards, which means some car owners could find they are unable to replace their car like-for-like if it is stolen or severely damaged.
"Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an increase in the value of second-hand cars due to supply-chain disruptions and shortages of parts, amongst other factors," AMI’s Executive General Manager Claims Wayne Tippet said in a statement.
"We’re strongly encouraging car owners to check whether the value they have insured their car for still matches its current market value, in the event that it is stolen and never recovered or is recovered but is a total loss. There are a number of free online tools which make calculating your car’s value quick and easy."
But it isn't all bad news. Despite being the most stolen car, Mazda Demios were the most likely to be recovered after theft. Over the past three years, 94 percent of Demio cars were recovered - which is well above the average of 70 percent of vehicles recovered.
The Toyota Hilux has the lowest rates of recovery at 30 percent, followed by the Ford Courier at 47 percent.
Tippet says the data serves as a reminder to take security precautions and check your insurance details are up to date.
"While we’ll always be here to assist our customers, it’s good to be aware of some simple things you can do to reduce your risk, particularly if you own one of the models more likely to be stolen," He says.
Tippet says cars parked on the street or outside of someone else's house are most likely to be stolen and urges people when possible to park down a driveway or inside a garage.
If there isn't any off-street parking available, Tippet says car owners should park under a street lamp or well-lit area and remember to lock their car.
He also recommends vehicle owners check if their car has a factory-fitted immobiliser, or if they can install other preventative security measures such as car alarms, steering wheel lock or car tracking system.
"Recently, we have seen an increase in stolen cars being used for criminal activity like ram raids. Vehicles used for these purposes are often viewed as easy targets by thieves, reinforcing the need for security deterrents like immobilisers, alarms, and steering wheel locks."
