A car is stolen every hour in New Zealand, according to new analysis from financial research site MoneyHub, which has examined 4373 vehicle thefts reported to police between June 22 and December 20.
The Bay of Plenty features prominently in the findings, emerging as one of the highest-risk regions per capita and the location of several unusual vehicle thefts – including the oldest stolen car recorded nationwide, a 1942 Ford Pickup.
Other noticeable thefts included a Maserati Levante and six pink cars.
“MoneyHub’s ongoing research reveals critical data on car theft trends across New Zealand, pinpointing the most frequently stolen models, theft hotspots and protective measures for vehicle owners,” a statement from the financial organisation said.
“This persistent issue continues to affect drivers nationwide and car insurance costs, and is one factor behind rising car insurance premiums.”
Based on MoneyHub’s detailed Stolen Car Analysis, head of research Christopher Walsh isolates multiple trends for the six months ended December 20:
– Hilux thefts now average more than one a day.
– Toyota dominates: eight of the top 20 most stolen vehicles are Toyotas, including four of the top five. Nearly one in three stolen cars is a Toyota – 30.7% of all car thefts, with 1010 vehicles taken.
– Canterbury is the ute theft capital – the region is now the No 1 location for Hilux, Courier, Landcruiser, Commodore and Navara thefts.
– Northland remains the highest-risk region per capita:14 vehicles stolen per 10,000 people, nearly five times the rate of Southern (3 per 10,000).
– The average stolen car is 22 years old, the median age is 19 years, and 70% of stolen vehicles are 15-plus years old (pre-2010). Only 2% are newer than five years.
– Silver, white and black vehicles account for 64% of thefts – though this probably reflects their prevalence on the road.
– Monday is the worst day for car theft: 722 vehicles are stolen on Mondays, compared with542 on Saturdays.
– Thefts climbed towards year end: November recorded 823 thefts, the highest month in the six months surveyed.
Specific ‘non-standard’ thefts included:
– The oldest car stolen was a 1942 Ford Pickup – 83 years old – taken in the Bay of Plenty.
– 1971 Pontiac Le Mans and 1974 purple Ford Falcon XB stolen in Waikato – thieves going after classic “American muscle” in these cases.
– 1966 Holden Premier stolen in Waitematā – a 59-year-old Australian classic was poached.
– 90 BMWs stolen, the most targeted luxury manufacturer, followed by 54 Audis and 44 Mercedes-Benz.
– Three Porsches were taken, including a Panamera in Canterbury and two Cayennes.
– A 2017 Maserati Levante was stolen in Counties-Manukau.
– 26 Harley-Davidsons stolen, one every week on average.
– Six pink vehicles stolen, including a 1992 Toyota Corolla in the Bay of Plenty and a 2004 Honda Fit in Counties-Manukau.
– 27 Nissan Skylines taken – the boy racer favourite is still on the target list.
– New cars aren’t immune – five brand-new 2025 models were stolen, including a Toyota RAV4 (Auckland), Hyundai Tucson (Counties-Manukau) and MG ZS (Waikato).
New Zealand’s most stolen cars – average frequency and theft locations
As outlined by MoneyHub in its dedicated stolen cars report:
Rank
Car Model
Make
Number Stolen
Average Stolen Per Week
Region the Car is Most Likely to be Stolen In
1
Hilux
Toyota
184
7.1
Canterbury
2
Courier
Ford
111
4.3
Canterbury
3
Hiace
Toyota
97
3.7
Auckland City
4
Wish
Toyota
97
3.7
Counties/Manukau
5
Landcruiser
Toyota
86
3.3
Canterbury
6
Corolla
Toyota
83
3.2
Waikato
7
Commodore
Holden
81
3.1
Canterbury
8
Aqua
Toyota
77
3
Counties/Manukau
9
Ranger
Ford
75
2.9
Bay of Plenty
10
Navara
Nissan
71
2.7
Canterbury
11
Tiida
Nissan
66
2.5
Auckland City
12
Demio
Mazda
65
2.5
Waikato
13
Atenza
Mazda
57
2.2
Wellington
14
Legacy
Subaru
53
2
Canterbury
15
Swift
Suzuki
52
2
Counties/Manukau
16
Impreza
Subaru
46
1.8
Counties/Manukau
17
Axela
Mazda
46
1.8
Bay of Plenty
18
Bounty
Mazda
43
1.7
Bay of Plenty
19
Triton
Mitsubishi
37
1.4
Bay of Plenty
20
Prius
Toyota
37
1.4
Counties/Manukau
A warning from MoneyHub Founder Christopher Walsh
“If you’re financing any car, especially a high-theft model like a Hilux or Ranger, make sure your insurance payout would actually cover what you owe,” Walsh warned.
“A lot of people don’t realise there can be a gap between market value and their loan balance – and that gap needs to be paid by the borrower if and when a car is stolen, which can be significant.”
MoneyHub senior researcher Christopher Walsh. Photo / MoneyHub
Walsh said their analysis was grouped based on six months of police data, recognising that areas with higher populations have a correspondingly higher likelihood of theft.
“To add context to these figures, we’ve reported the riskiest and safest areas for car thefts in relation to population size.”
Region
Total Thefts
Estimated Population (2023)
Stolen Cars per 10,000 People
Most Stolen Car
Northland
286
198,400
14
Toyota Hilux
Counties/Manukau
703
534,750
13
Toyota Wish
Bay of Plenty
415
351,700
12
Toyota Hilux
Waikato
511
507,200
10
Toyota Corolla
Canterbury
601
655,000
9
Toyota Landcruiser
Tasman
55
60,000
9
Toyota Hilux
Eastern
192
215,000
9
Toyota Hilux
Waitematā
504
597,510
8
Toyota Hilux
Auckland City
395
481,740
8
Toyota Hiace
Central
272
354,100
8
Toyota Hilux
Wellington
341
550,000
6
Toyota Hiace
Southern
95
319,200
3
Toyota Hilux