By number of thefts Lexus is not near the top: it was tenth in MotorEasy's 2025 count with 2,017, while Ford, BMW and Toyota each lost far more cars. Measured against the number of cars registered, though, Lexus stands out. In DVLA data for cars first registered between 2022 and 2024, it had the highest theft rate of any make with 10,000 or more registrations.

The sections below go through the Lexus numbers model by model, then turn to protection. For every make and model side by side, see the full 2025 make and model table.

The highest theft rate of any make with 10,000+ cars in the DVLA data

A DVLA Freedom of Information response (FOIR12391, 2025) lists thefts and registrations for cars first registered from January 2022 to December 2024. By our count, 313 of the 43,700 Lexus cars in that group were stolen in the same window: 7.2 per 1,000. The average across all makes was 2.1 per 1,000 (11,668 stolen of 5,600,649 registered). The next highest makes were Kia at 3.5 and BMW at 3.4.

These rates are our own calculation from the DVLA figures, not published DVLA numbers. They are also cumulative over three years rather than annual, so they work for comparing makes but are not "your chance of theft this year".

West Midlands police figures point the same way. The Police and Crime Commissioner's data for 2024 shows 129 Lexus thefts at 19 per 1,000 registered cars. That is above Ford's 18, though Ford lost 2,948 cars; of the makes listed, only Land Rover and Jaguar were higher. These figures set one force's crime records against DfT registrations, so they are not directly comparable with the DVLA cohort.

Insurance claims show how quickly the problem grew. LV= data reported by Which? (2024) had Lexus thefts up 513% between 2021 and 2023, the steepest rise of any make it named.

MeasureLexus figureSource and period
Theft rate, all Lexus7.2 per 1,000 (national 2.1)DVLA FOIR12391, cars registered and stolen 2022-2024 (our calculation)
Theft rate, RX23.2 per 1,000DVLA FOIR12391, same cohort (our calculation)
Theft rate, new-generation NX0.6 per 1,000DVLA FOIR12391, same cohort (our calculation)
Thefts, all Lexus2,017MotorEasy, 2025
Thefts, NX946MotorEasy, 2025
Thefts, RX678DVLA data via What Car?/Tempcover, 2024

The Lexus RX: the highest-risk model in the DVLA cohort

In the same DVLA cohort, the RX had the highest theft rate of any model with 5,000 or more registrations: 141 stolen out of 6,072, or 23.2 per 1,000. Next came the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at 16.5 and the Kia EV6 at 15.2, with the Toyota RAV4 at 12.4. The Ford Fiesta, Britain's most stolen model by count, came out at 2.6.

Because the cohort starts in 2022, the RX figure is about recent cars, not older examples.

On raw counts, the RX was the only Lexus in the top 20 models for 2024, with 678 thefts, in DVLA data obtained by What Car? and Tempcover and reported by LBC.

The RX450h was the first Lexus ever to appear on Tracker's most stolen and recovered list, at sixth in 2022. In the first half of 2023 it was second, behind only the Range Rover Sport, according to EV Fleet World. For 2025, Tracker said its recoveries were dominated by BMW, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Toyota. These lists cover only Tracker-fitted cars that were stolen and recovered, not national theft rates.

Older and newer Lexus: what the generation figures show

The new-generation NX, in the same DVLA cohort, had 8 thefts from 13,206 registrations: 0.6 per 1,000, well below the national 2.1.

Yet the NX still made MotorEasy's 2025 top 10, ninth among models with 946 thefts. MotorEasy's headline national total is higher than other DVLA-based analyses, so treat its counts as indicative. One plausible explanation is that thieves are concentrating on first-generation NX cars, which largely fall outside the DVLA cohort. The 2025 count is not split by generation, so this is unproven.

French insurance data points the same way on security updates. Argos and France Assureurs (2026) reported that the Lexus RX (listed as RX II) and NX, second and third most frequently stolen there in 2024, both dropped out of the 2025 top 10 after their security was improved. It is worth knowing which generation you own and whether its security has been updated.

How a Lexus is stolen without the key

When Lexus and Tracker announced their partnership, Tracker said over 94% of the vehicles it recovers were stolen without the keys. For a Lexus, two keyless methods matter most.

The first is the relay attack. Thieves capture the signal from a keyless fob inside the house and boost it, and the car behaves as if the key is next to it.

The second, and the one most closely tied to Lexus and Toyota, is CAN injection. Thieves pull back the front bumper to reach a headlight connector on the car's internal network, then plug in a device that sends fake messages telling the car a valid key is present. The real key can be anywhere. Security researcher Ken Tindell documented these devices in 2023, and the target list includes the Lexus ES, LC, LS, NX and RX. The case he investigated was a Toyota RAV4, so owners of both makes face the same attack. Anything that only protects the key does nothing against it. Our Toyota RAV4 and C-HR theft guide walks through the attack step by step.

Where stolen cars end up

We found no Lexus-specific destination figures, but export interceptions point to premium SUVs. Of stolen vehicles intercepted for export by the police unit NaVCIS between 2021 and 2024, Thatcham Research reports (2025) that 52% were premium or luxury makes and 79% were SUVs. The top destinations were DR Congo (38.5%), the UAE (20.1%), Cyprus, Jamaica and Georgia.

Others are broken for parts. In 2024 Tracker and police shut 60 chop shops and made 144 arrests. Once a car is in a container or stripped, recovery gets far harder, so the first hours after a theft count.

Lexus in Europe: Germany and the Netherlands

Each country measures theft differently, so compare rankings rather than rates.

The UX does not appear in the UK figures above but ranks high in both countries, so UX owners should not assume they are safe.

The Lexus and Tracker partnership: which cars qualify for a free unit

In September 2024 Lexus UK announced it would fit Tracker free to older models still on the road and to Approved Used cars. Tracker's announcement describes a Tracker S7 unit with a three-year subscription for compatible older models. The latest models are excluded because of their built-in security.

To check whether your car qualifies, and whether the offer is still running, ask a Lexus centre with your registration. If you bought an Approved Used Lexus after the scheme started, check your paperwork, as a unit may already be fitted.

Tracker reports that 95% of stolen vehicles fitted with its device are recovered, half within four hours and 80% back with owners within 24 hours. Those are Tracker's own figures, and Fleetalyse is not part of this scheme.

Protecting a Lexus: what reduces risk

The aim is to make your car more trouble to steal than the next one, and to know quickly if it moves. Our car theft protection page explains where a tracker fits alongside these measures.

Manufacturer updates

The new-generation NX figures and the French data both point to factory security making a difference. Ask a Lexus centre whether any security or software update applies to your car. If none exists for an older model, the measures below carry more weight.

A steering wheel lock

A solid, visible lock does nothing to the electronics, but a thief who has started the car still has to cut through steel before driving off. That takes time and makes noise.

Key storage

Keep keyless fobs in a signal-blocking pouch or metal box away from doors and windows. If your handbook describes a way to switch off the fob's keyless function, use it. This defends against relay attacks but does nothing against CAN injection.

Parking

CAN injection needs access to the wiring at the front corner of the car. A locked garage is best. Otherwise, parking nose-first against a wall, fence or garage door makes the front harder to work on, and a lockable bollard or gate slows a thief further.

OBD port lock

Some thieves program a new key through the diagnostic (OBD) port, and an OBD lock or relocated port blocks that route. It is worth having, but CAN injection goes through the headlight wiring and never touches the OBD port.

Where a hidden GPS tracker fits

A GPS tracker does not prevent theft. It is not an immobiliser or an alarm, and it will not stop a CAN injection device starting your car. What it does is tell you the car has moved when it should not have, and give you and the police its live location.

For a Lexus, a hidden wired unit is the better choice, because OBD plug-in trackers are easier for thieves to find and unplug. The Teltonika FMC920 we supply is 12 mm thin, wired in out of sight, and sends alerts for movement, towing (movement with the ignition off), unplugging and jamming. Police seized signal jammers and cable detectors during the Operation Alliances week of action in October 2025, so a jamming alert is aimed at kit thieves are known to carry.

If your car already has a Tracker S7 from the Lexus scheme, a second, independent tracker on a different system gives you a backup: if thieves find and remove one, the other can still report. Our page on stolen vehicle recovery with GPS tracking explains how alerts and police reports work in practice, and you can compare hidden car theft protection trackers in our shop. Plans start from £5.99 a month inc VAT per vehicle, with a 14-day free trial and no setup fee.

Questions owners ask

Is the Lexus RX the most stolen car in the UK?

Not by count; the Ford Fiesta is stolen far more often. Per car registered, the RX had the highest theft rate of any model with 5,000 or more registrations in the DVLA cohort, at 23.2 per 1,000.

Is a newer Lexus less likely to be stolen?

Possibly, for the NX. In the DVLA data the new-generation NX, registered from 2022, had 0.6 thefts per 1,000, well below the 2.1 average. In Germany the first-generation NX had one of the highest theft rates. The UK figures do not cover older NX cars, so this is not a like-for-like comparison. Newer is not immune: the high RX rate is for cars registered from 2022.

Can I get a free Tracker fitted to my Lexus?

Possibly, on a compatible older model or an Approved Used car; the latest models are excluded. A Lexus centre can confirm.

Will a signal-blocking pouch protect my Lexus?

Only against relay attacks, not CAN injection.

Does a GPS tracker stop my Lexus being stolen?

No. It alerts you when the car moves and helps police find it. Cutting the risk of theft is down to factory security, physical locks and where you park.

About this guide: Fleetalyse sells GPS trackers, including those mentioned above, and has no connection with Lexus or Tracker. Every figure comes from the named sources below; rates marked as our calculation are worked out from DVLA FOI data.

Sources