Ford was the most stolen car make in the UK in 2025, and the Fiesta was the most stolen model, as it was in 2024. Part of the reason is volume: there are a lot of Fords on British roads. For an owner, the per-car figures say more about risk than the headline counts.

Ford is the UK's most stolen make in 2025

Every 2025 analysis of DVLA records by make that we have seen puts Ford first. The counts differ because each analyst requested and filtered the data differently. What Car?'s analysis, reported by Car Dealer Magazine, counts 7,677 Fords stolen. MotorEasy's FOI analysis gives 8,362. Both put BMW second and Toyota third, and so does QuestGates, a loss adjuster that analysed DVLA FOI data.

Analysis of 2025 theftsFordBMWToyota
What Car? (DVLA data)7,6775,4894,518
MotorEasy (FOI data)8,3626,1765,475
QuestGates (DVLA FOI data)1st2nd3rd

Treat MotorEasy's totals with caution. Its article says around 60,900 cars were stolen in 2025, a 12.8% rise. The other two found falls. What Car? counts 54,830 vehicles stolen, down 11%, and QuestGates found private-car thefts fell 13.30%, from 61,857 in 2024 to 53,629. The rankings agree even where the totals don't. For the other makes and models, see the full 2025 make and model table.

Which Ford models are stolen most

What Car? counts 3,511 Fiestas stolen in 2025, more than the second-placed VW Golf (1,625) and the third-placed Ford Focus (1,474) combined. DVLA data for 2024, requested by What Car? and Tempcover and reported by LBC, recorded 4,446 Fiestas stolen, with the Focus third on 1,700 and the Kuga 20th on 632. At trim level, Tempcover's analysis of DVLA data, reported by Carwow, found Fiestas in seven of the ten most stolen variants of 2025, although the single most stolen variant was a Toyota C-HR Dynamic HEV CVT, on 437.

Ford no longer makes the Fiesta, so the ones on the road are only getting older. It is still Britain's most stolen car, but fewer were taken in 2025 than in 2024.

Model2025 (What Car?)2024 (What Car?/Tempcover)Notes
Fiesta3,511 (1st)4,446 (1st)Most stolen model in both years
Focus1,474 (3rd)1,700 (3rd)-
KugaNot in our sources632 (20th)-
PumaNot in our sourcesNot in our sourcesNamed by Tracker as a thieves' favourite

Tracker, reported by Insurance Edge, names the Puma among thieves' favourite cars, along with the Toyota RAV4, Nissan Juke and BMW X5. It gives no counts.

Count versus risk

A high count partly reflects how many of a car there are. For newer cars, DVLA data gives a rough per-car answer. DVLA FOI response FOIR12391 covers cars first registered between 2022 and 2024 and stolen within the same period. By our calculation, 11,668 of 5,600,649 of these cars were stolen, or 2.1 per 1,000. Ford had 881 of those thefts, behind BMW (1,209), Kia (1,126), Toyota (1,018), Volkswagen (989) and Audi (955).

The Fiesta's rate was 2.6 per 1,000. That is slightly above the national figure, and far below the Toyota RAV4 (12.4) or Lexus RX (23.2). Our guide to Toyota RAV4 theft has the detail on that model.

These rates are our calculation, not the DVLA's. They cover the whole period rather than a single year, and only newer cars. Thatcham Research says thieves concentrate on cars aged 5-9 years, which this data leaves out.

Where you live also matters. West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner figures show 2,948 Fords stolen in the force area in 2024, or 18 per 1,000 registered Fords. Of the makes listed, only Land Rover (32), Jaguar (21) and Lexus (19) had higher rates. Toyota, Mercedes and Nissan were on 13, and Vauxhall on 4. These are yearly rates for cars of all ages, so they can't be compared directly with the national figure above.

How cars like these are stolen

No source we found breaks theft methods down by make, or says how the stolen Fiestas were taken. The Crime Survey figures below cover all vehicle types, in England and Wales only. The Crime Survey for England and Wales found that in the year to March 2025, the thief manipulated the signal from a remote locking device (relaying or jamming it) in 46.7% of vehicle thefts. The year before, the figure was 57.6%. The latest figure rests on only 51 incidents, so it can swing. In 16.7% of thefts the thief used a key or fob, for example one taken in a burglary.

Separately, Admiral, a UK insurer, told Which? that 60-70% of cars stolen in the 12 months to July 2024 were keyless models.

  • Relay attacks. One device picks up a keyless fob's signal from inside the house and another passes it on to the car. The car then unlocks and starts as if the key were there.
  • Key programming through the OBD port. Once inside, the thief plugs a device into the diagnostic port and programs a new key. This can work on cars without keyless entry too.
  • Taking the real key. Keys left near the front door, or taken in a break-in.
  • Theft for parts. Some cars are taken to be broken up rather than kept or sold whole. Tracker has linked thefts of high-volume models to demand for second-hand parts (see below).

Export and the parts trade

The export trade leans towards expensive cars. Of the stolen vehicles NaVCIS intercepted for export between 2021 and 2024, according to Thatcham Research, 52% were premium or luxury makes and 79% were SUVs. An older Fiesta is neither a premium make nor an SUV. The Kuga and Puma are SUVs, but no source we found gives export figures for any Ford.

Tracker links the parts trade to high-volume models such as the Nissan Juke and Kia Sportage, which it said thieves were increasingly targeting to feed demand for second-hand parts. It reported that it and the police shut 60 chop shops in 2024 and made 144 arrests. No source gives Ford figures, but the Fiesta and Focus are high-volume cars too. A stripped car can't be recovered in one piece, so the first hours after a theft matter.

The 2019 sleep-mode fob and what it changed

Ford's answer to relay theft was a key fob that senses movement. Once it has been left still for a short time, it goes to sleep and stops transmitting, so a relay device can't pick it up from a hallway table. Just Auto, citing Ford Europe and Retainagroup data, reported that the latest Fiesta got the fob in 2019, and that thefts of that Fiesta fell by two-thirds compared with the previous model.

It only stops relay attacks, though. It does nothing against OBD key programming or a stolen key, and nothing for Fords built without it.

How to check which fob you have

  • If you press a button or turn a key to open and start the car, it isn't keyless, and relay is not your main risk. Concentrate on physical security and the OBD port.
  • If it opens and starts with the fob in your pocket, check the handbook or ask a Ford dealer, quoting your VIN.
  • To test it yourself, put the fob down near the car, leave it untouched for a few minutes, then try the door handle without moving the fob. If the car stays locked until you pick the fob up, it has the sleep function.

Protecting a Ford: what reduces the risk

Each measure targets one method, and none is a guarantee. Used together, they make the car slower and riskier to take.

  • Look after the fob. Keep keys away from the front door and windows. A Faraday pouch or metal tin blocks the signal, but pouches wear out, so test yours now and then by trying to open the car with the fob inside. If your handbook shows a way to switch keyless entry off, doing so closes off relay attacks.
  • Fit an OBD lock guard. A lockable cover over the diagnostic port slows down key programming. It won't stop a thief who has time and tools, but it removes the quickest route.
  • Use a steering lock. Its main value is that thieves can see it. A good one takes time and noise to remove; cheap ones can be cut quickly.
  • Think about where you park. Garage beats driveway, and driveway beats street. Lighting, overlooking windows and being blocked in by another car help, but none of it stops a relay attack if the fob is by the front door.
  • Ask about updates. Give a Ford dealer your VIN and ask whether any software updates, recalls or replacement keys apply to your car. Older models may have none.
  • Secure spare keys. A thief who gets hold of any key, including a spare, needs neither a relay device nor a key programmer.

What a tracker can and cannot do if your Ford is stolen

A GPS tracker does not prevent theft. It isn't an alarm or an immobiliser, and it won't stop anyone driving off. What it does is tell you quickly that the car has moved, and show you and the police where it is.

Recovery is far from certain for any stolen car. QuestGates' analysis of DVLA data found that 44.94% of stolen cars were recovered in 2025, up from 42.48% in 2024. The average time to recovery was 25.6 days, down from 27.1. A car wanted for parts may be stripped long before then.

Where the tracker sits matters. A plug-in OBD tracker is quick to fit, but the OBD port is where thieves connect key programmers, so it is easy to find and pull out. A hidden wired unit such as the Teltonika FMC920, which is 12 mm thin, can be tucked behind trim and wired into the car's power supply. Our hidden tracker setup for cars sends these alerts:

  • Movement: the car moves when it shouldn't.
  • Towing: the car moves with the ignition off, for example when it is lifted onto a trailer.
  • Unplug: the tracker loses power from the car.
  • Jamming: the tracker detects interference with its signal.

A tracker has limits too. A thief with time can still find a wired unit, a jammer can block it for a while, and a car inside a metal building or container may lose signal. If you get an alert, report the theft to the police straight away and give them the live location; don't go after the car yourself. Our stolen vehicle recovery page explains how tracking and police reporting work together. Hidden car trackers with theft alerts run on Fleetalyse tracking plans from £5.99 a month inc VAT per vehicle, with a 14-day free trial and no setup fee.

Questions owners ask

Is Ford still the most stolen car make in the UK?

On 2025 DVLA data, yes. What Car?, MotorEasy and QuestGates all put Ford first, ahead of BMW and Toyota. What Car? counts 7,677 Fords stolen, and the Fiesta was the most stolen model with 3,511.

Does my Ford have the sleep-mode key fob?

The latest Fiesta got it in 2019. For any other model or year, give a Ford dealer your VIN and ask, or try the still test described above.

Will a GPS tracker stop my Ford being stolen?

No. A tracker doesn't lock or immobilise the car. It alerts you when the car moves, is towed or has the tracker's power cut, and gives the police a location. Use it alongside a steering lock, an OBD guard and careful key storage.

Are newer Fords less likely to be stolen?

The evidence is limited. Retainagroup data, reported by Just Auto, showed thefts of the latest Fiesta, which got the sleep fob in 2019, fell by two-thirds compared with the previous model. Even so, among cars first registered 2022-2024, the Fiesta's rate of 2.6 per 1,000 was slightly above the 2.1 average.

About this guide: Fleetalyse sells GPS trackers, including the hidden wired units described above. The figures come from the named sources linked in the text and listed below, and the per-1,000 rates for cars registered 2022-2024 are our own calculation from DVLA data. Ford has not reviewed or endorsed this guide.

Sources