List of the Most Often Stolen Passenger Cars in Germany in 2010

The most popular cars with thieves in Germany in 2010 were not surprisingly Volkswagen but compared to the number of cars in circulation, the Lexus RX400 Hybrid was the most often robbed car and Porsche the marque of choice.

SAG2004 RX 400h

In 2010, 19,503 insured cars were stolen in Germany – an increase of around 7% over the number of vehicles stolen in 2009. Volkswagen remained the most-stolen car brand in absolute numbers but Porsche was the most popular brand with car thieves relative to the number of actual cars insured. The Lexus RX400 Hybrid and BMW M3 Coupe were the most often stolen cars relative to the number of cars in circulation. For every 1,000 cars insured in Germany, 0.6 cars were stolen with an average insurance value of €13.190.

Car Theft Statistics for Germany in 2010

Statistics released by the Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft (GDV) (an association of German insurers) showed that 19,503 insured passenger vehicles were stolen in Germany in 2010. This compared to 18,215 cars stolen in Germany in 2009.

Car theft is the most likely in larger German cities with the city states Berlin and Hamburg at the top of the list of states were the highest number of cars relative to the number of cars insured was stolen. For every 1,000 insured cars in Berlin, 3.7 were stolen in 2010 and 1.8 in Hamburg. In comparison, only 0.2 cars were stolen in Saarland, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and the Rhineland Palatinate. The highest number of stolen vehicles was in North Rhine Westphalia with 4,063 cars stolen in 2010.

Most Stolen Cars in Germany in 2010

In absolute term, Volkswagens were the most-stolen cars in Germany in 2010, which is not surprising given Volkswagen’s around 20% of the German new passenger vehicle market in recent years. However, per 1,000 cars insured, Porsche clearly was the favorite brand of thiefs. Mercedes-Benz cars were surprisingly low on the list of cars stolen per 1,000 insured.

The relatively low ranking of Opel and Ford reflects the continuing woes of these once very popular car makers in Germany. Japanese brands Toyota saw a dramatic increase in the number of cars stolen in 2010 compared to 2009.

Car Theft Statistics in Germany in 2010

 

Most Stolen Car Brands in Germany in 2010

Absolute Car Numbers Relative per 1,000 Insured Vehicles
Brand

2010

2009

% change Band 2010 2009
Volkswagen

6,792

6,698

1.4

Porsche 1.71 1.26
Audi

2,782

2,413

15.3

Audi 1.27 1.13
BMW

2,573

2,038

26.3

GM 1.22 0.72
Mercedes

1,227

1,302

-5.8%

BMW 1.07 0.88
Skoda

778

734

6.0

VW 0.95 0.97
Opel

767

822

-6.7

Skoda 0.76 0.81
Toyota

718

373

92.5

Honda 0.67 0.29
Ford

648

773

-16.2

Toyota 0.60 0.32
Renault

378

384

-1.6

Seat 0.53 0.70
Mazda

337

246

37.0

Ford 0.52 0.59
Seat

324

414

-21.7

Chrysler 0.51 056
Honda

287

121

137.2

Land Rover 0.49 0.65
Fiat

257

271

-5.2

Jaguar 0.45 0.52
Porsche

211

144

46.5

Mazda 0.43 0.31
Peugeot

184

219

-16.0

Saab 0.42 0.27
Nissan

131

137

-4.4

Ssangyong 0.39 1.13
Citroen

130

134

-3.0

Mercedes 0.37 0.40
Volvo

93

78

19.2

Rover 0.36 0.44

Source: GDV


Lexus RX400 Hybrid Popular with Thieves in Germany in 2010

Relative to the number of cars insured, the Lexus RX400 was the most-stolen car model in Germany in 2010 with 21.2 out of every 1,000 insured falling victim to car theft. The BMW M3 Coupe was a close second with 18.8 being stolen. The average cost for each stolen Lexus RX400 was €32,385. More expensive were the three Porsche Cayenne models on the top-fifteen list with average damages exceeding €50,000 per stolen car.

 Favorite Cars for Theft in Germany in 2010

Brand Model

Stolen per 1,000 Cars Insured

Average Damages in €
Toyota Lexus RX400 Hybrid 21.2 32,385
BMW M3 Coupe 18.8 47,406
VW Caravelle T4, Multivan 2.5 TDI 15.0 15,251
BMW X5/X6 3.0SD 14.4 48,916
BMW X5/X6 3.0D 12.6 40,067
Toyota Landcruiser 3.0 D-4D 10.3 27,897
Porsche Cayenne S 4.8 9.8 53,616
Porsche Cayenne Turbo 4.5 9.2 56,027
Porsche Cayenne 3.0 V6 TDI 9.0 51,383
BMW 535D (560L) 7.5 31,230
Audi S3 1.8T Quattro 7.4 11,241
BMW 730D (765) 7.3 27,044
VW Passat V6 2.5 TDI (3B) 6.9 8,481
VW T5 Multivan California 2.5 TD 6.7 23,767
Toyota RAV4 2.0 XA3(A) 6.3 18,963
Average for all cars stolen in Germany in 2010 0,6 13.190

Source: GDV