Car theft is a big deal, when we compare it to 2019, we see a fall of nearly 15%.
That’s fantastic news, but what happened during 2020?
The entire country was locked down for months on end.
Yet theft still occurred for cars, and in large numbers, nearly 40,000 cars were stolen in 2020.
Thieves are out there and ready to ruin your life.
But a little knowledge goes a long way, and a good starting place is knowing what cars they target the most.
The following are the top 10 most stolen cars in Australia according to “The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council”.
These figures are from 2021, and no newer national list exists.
The Council closed in September 2021, which makes this ranking the final national model-level count Australia will ever get.
Without further ado, here are the top cars highly coveted by thieves running around the suburb.
Keep your eyes peeled from now on if you own these cars.
1) Holden Commodore VE 06 – 13 (898 cars stolen in 2021)
The Holden Commodore VE tops the list, 898 of the VEs were stolen in 2021. Topping out our list.
Commodores are also one of the most popular cars on the market, including the older variants.
Although on the affordable side, they are highly coveted by car thieves.
So, invest in the proper car security if you own one of these beasts.
2) Toyota Hilux 05 – 11 (527 cars stolen in 2021)
The Toyota Hilux is a staple of the Aussie tradie.
If you’ve never owned a Hilux, Commodore, or Falcon, can you even call yourself a tradie?
Unfortunately, Hiluxes are also a staple of the Australian thief’s diet with 527 of them being stolen in 2021.
3) Ford Ranger PX 11+ (495 cars stolen in 2021)
The Ford Ranger is the cousin of the Toyota Hilux and Nissan Navara, but both serve the same purpose of being powerful and affordable vehicles.
495 were stolen in 2021, and we can expect a rise in theft for this model because it’s still being produced and sold.
4) Toyota Hilux 15+ (443 cars stolen in 2021)
Seeing as the Hilux is an Australian staple, we’re back with another model. This one is slightly newer, however, being in production from 2015 onwards.
This reason alone is enough for car thieves to eye the vehicle, so we expect the rates to rise.
5) Holden Captiva CG 06+ (404 cars stolen in 2021)
Our 5th most stolen car for 2021 is the Holden Captiva CG.
SUVs are becoming increasingly common, especially for families. Thieves are beginning to take notice, which is why they’ve now become a subject of theft over the past few years.
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6) Holden Commodore VY 02 – 04 (369 cars stolen in 2021)
Here is a Commodore once more, but in a slightly older model with the VY.
It remains to be an incredibly popular car, making it a favourite among car thieves. With beautiful colour and finish, it only follows that you invest in proper security measures to keep the thieves at bay.
So, I’d recommend our Solid GPS tracker.
7) Nissan Navara D40 05 – 15 (360 cars stolen in 2021)
The Nissan Navara is the bigger brother of the Nissan Pulsar.
It’s a super reliable and popular car in the country, much like the Hilux. This makes it popular among thieves, but thankfully, the car has more comprehensive anti-theft technology built inside it.
It’s always best to rely on at least one independent security measure, as thieves will know how to bypass a car’s natural security defences, including immobilisers and alarms.
8) Toyota Hilux 12 – 15 (357 cars stolen in 2021)
357 of these were stolen compared to 379 the previous year, as there are more Hilux models on the road now that more of them are being produced.
If you own one of these, regardless of the model, it’s best to keep an eye out for your car.
9) Holden Commodore VZ 04 – 06 (323 cars stolen in 2021)
The Holden Commodore (VZ) is a full-size car that was produced by Holden from 2004 to 2006 as a sedan.
Due to its size, performance and comfortability, it is still one of the preferred cars of an average family. Most thieves are interested in this model as they make a quick buck on the second-hand market.
10) Ford Falcon BA 02 – 05 (312 cars stolen in 2021)
Ford’s rival to Holden’s Commodore is the Falcon. This slightly older model is still being stolen at alarming rates.
With the rate of theft only decreasing because of COVID, I expect to see the number of stolen falcons soar in the future.
What The Data Looks Like Now
Nobody replaced the Council, so the national picture since 2021 comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which counts thefts but not models.
Its most recent count is 65,603 vehicles stolen across Australia in 2024, up 8% on the year before and the highest in 21 years.
For models you now have to look state by state. The Victorian Crime Statistics Agency still publishes make and model, and for the year ending September 2025 its list runs Holden Commodore first on 1,587, then the Toyota HiLux, Corolla, LandCruiser and RAV4.
Six of that Victorian top ten are Toyotas, and the Ford Ranger has dropped out of it entirely.
Victoria is one state rather than the whole country, so treat that ranking as an indicator rather than a national list. The Commodore holding the top spot across both is still telling.
Conclusion
Did your car make the list?
If it did, I highly recommend you start beefing up your security and the best way to start is through knowledge.
Take a peek at the troubling signs of rampant car theft to go more in-depth on the actual stats.
Or if you don’t know what to do if your car is stolen, check out the four simple steps to recover your car.
Finally, the most important thing you can do is defend yourself with a high-quality tracker like Solid GPS.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Solid GPS sends an instant alert the moment your car moves, day or night. Share live location with police in seconds. Trusted by 30,000+ vehicle owners.
