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 NumbersRelative per 1,000 Insured Vehicles
Brand

2010

2009

% changeBand20102009
Volkswagen

6,792

6,698

1.4

Porsche1.711.26
Audi

2,782

2,413

15.3

Audi1.271.13
BMW

2,573

2,038

26.3

GM1.220.72
Mercedes

1,227

1,302

-5.8%

BMW1.070.88
Skoda

778

734

6.0

VW0.950.97
Opel

767

822

-6.7

Skoda0.760.81
Toyota

718

373

92.5

Honda0.670.29
Ford

648

773

-16.2

Toyota0.600.32
Renault

378

384

-1.6

Seat0.530.70
Mazda

337

246

37.0

Ford0.520.59
Seat

324

414

-21.7

Chrysler0.51056
Honda

287

121

137.2

Land Rover0.490.65
Fiat

257

271

-5.2

Jaguar0.450.52
Porsche

211

144

46.5

Mazda0.430.31
Peugeot

184

219

-16.0

Saab0.420.27
Nissan

131

137

-4.4

Ssangyong0.391.13
Citroen

130

134

-3.0

Mercedes0.370.40
Volvo

93

78

19.2

Rover0.360.44

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

BrandModel

Stolen per 1,000 Cars Insured

Average Damages in €
ToyotaLexus RX400 Hybrid21.232,385
BMWM3 Coupe18.847,406
VWCaravelle T4, Multivan 2.5 TDI15.015,251
BMWX5/X6 3.0SD14.448,916
BMWX5/X6 3.0D12.640,067
ToyotaLandcruiser 3.0 D-4D10.327,897
PorscheCayenne S 4.89.853,616
PorscheCayenne Turbo 4.59.256,027
PorscheCayenne 3.0 V6 TDI9.051,383
BMW535D (560L)7.531,230
AudiS3 1.8T Quattro7.411,241
BMW730D (765)7.327,044
VWPassat V6 2.5 TDI (3B)6.98,481
VWT5 Multivan California 2.5 TD6.723,767
ToyotaRAV4 2.0 XA3(A)6.318,963
Average for all cars stolen in Germany in 20100,613.190

Source: GDV

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in online writing. His best-selling cars website has been reporting car sales statistics since 2008 with classic car auction prices focusing on the most expensive automobiles sold at public auctions in the past decade. He also owns the travel websites European-Traveler.com and Lake Geneva Switzerland. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.