Cars of this make were stolen the most in the Netherlands in 2024

January 17, 2025

Car theft 2024

A total of 5,969 passenger cars were stolen in 2024, up 2% from the previous year. Of these stolen vehicles, 2,614 were recovered, down 3.2% from 2023. In the process, the recovery rate dropped from 40% to 39%.

Light commercial vehicles were also targeted more often, with a 16% increase in thefts. At the same time, the recovery rate for these vehicles went down, from 46% to 39.7%. Heavy commercial vehicles even saw almost a doubling in the number of stolen vehicles, from 56 in 2023 to 124 in 2024.

Toyota less popular, Kia gains ground

Toyota long topped the list of most stolen car brands, but recent efforts to prevent theft seem to have had an effect. At least, somewhat. Fewer Toyotas have been stolen, but the brand still tops the list, with a total of 1,166 thefts in 2024. Brands such as Kia, Ford, BMW and Audi were also in high demand by car thieves last year.

Reporting remains important

You’ll probably do it, but we’ll repeat it anyway: if your car is stolen, always report it to the police. Reporting it is important because the RDW can then place a report in the license plate register. This makes it more difficult for criminals to sell the stolen car. Potential buyers can also use an RDW license plate check to easily check whether a vehicle is registered as stolen. Thanks to cooperation between the RDW and the police, a stolen vehicle is spotted internationally via ANPR cameras within half an hour.