New Zealand's most stolen car of 2023 revealed

22/01/2024
Safiya Mehta-Woledge

Car thefts in 2023 second highest in the past 5 years Photo credit: Getty Images

The noble Toyota Aqua is once again New Zealand's most stolen car of the year, according to data released by insurance company AMI on Monday.

The Aqua took the top spot for the second consecutive year in a row.

The list

The list is based on AMI's vehicle theft data which saw almost 17,000 claims last year.

Last year was also the second-highest year for vehicle theft in the past five years, with 2022 just beating it out after seeing a 43 percent spike from previous years.

AMI's executive general manager of claims, Wayne Tippet, says Kiwis need to be more mindful of their car security in 2024.

"It's concerning to see another year of elevated vehicle theft claims and, unfortunately, the data highlights that we all need to adopt a security-minded approach when leaving our cars unattended."

The claims data shows cars manufactured in 2005 take the spotlight for theft insurance claims, followed by 2006 and equally popular, 2014.

"We are seeing a consistent similarity in the price of commonly stolen vehicles too, usually no more than $5000 in value. These seemingly cost-friendly cars are typically 10 years or older," said Tippet.

The Mazda Demio, which has previously been described as the 'car thieves top pick' has slipped down the ranks, now overtaken by the Nissan Tiida which became New Zealand's second most stolen car in 2023.

It followed closely behind the Toyota Corolla which climbed the ranks from eighth most stolen in 2022 to third place in 2023.

Auckland is also the hot spot for theft with over a third of the nation's stolen cars occurring in or around the super city.

AMI says the methods for thieving have remained the same, advising people to always park their cars in a driveway if possible, or in a well-lit area if on-street parking is the only option.

Cars without advanced security features such as keyless ignition and alarms, or cars parked where a swift getaway is possible have a higher chance of being taken.