UK’s ‘most stolen’ van revealed

By Gareth Roberts

5 December 2023

New analysis based on data obtained from police forces across the country has revealed the UK’s ‘most stolen’ van.

The research, conducted by Go Compare Van Insurance, claims that the Mercedes Sprinter was the most stolen van in the UK last year, with a ratio of 7.42 thefts per every 1,000 registered vans.

The total number of thefts of each van model from the available figures, obtained through freedom of information (FOI) data from 26 UK police forces, was added together before being divided by the number of registrations for each van model.

Only 12 van models were included in these calculations, excluding all others. The vans included in the calculations were: Ford Transit, Ford Transit Custom, Mercedes Sprinter, Vauxhall Vivaro, Volkswagen Transporter, Renault Trafic, Peugeot Expert, Citroen Relay, Citroen Berlingo, Toyota Hiace, Fiat Ducato, and Iveco Daily.

The Mercedes Sprinter topped the list followed by the Ford Transit and Ford Transit Custom, with a combined theft ratio of 5.25 per every 1,000 vans registered.

In contrast, the Volkswagen Transporter was the ‘least stolen’ van, with a ratio of just 0.6 thefts per 1,000 vans.

Tom Banks, motoring expert at Go Compare, said: “This research is a stark reminder of the challenges van owners face in safeguarding their vehicles.

“The rate of van thefts, coupled with the prominence of certain van models on thieves’ radars, highlights the critical importance of having the right security measures in place, as well as proper protection.”

The insurance comparison site’s research also reveals van theft trends between 2019 and 2022.

It found that in three years, van thefts have remained at a similar level, rising from 4.36 stolen vans per 1,000 registered in 2019 to just 4.55 in 2022.

Around half of UK police forces reported an increase in van thefts over this period, while the other 50% experienced a decrease.