The number of vehicles stolen in the UK remains at a record high level, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Year-on-year crime statistics show that there were 129,159 vehicles stolen between April 2023 and March 2024.
This is slightly lower when compared to the 130,119 vehicle thefts for same period in 2022-23, but keeps the number of vehicle thefts in the UK at a 15-year high.
Despite the worryingly levels of vehicle crime, incidents of items being stolen from vehicles fell by 12% year-on-year.
In total, there were 193,023 crimes reported to police that involved items being taken from vehicles after they had been broken into. For the same period the year before, 218,431 people reported that something had been taken from their vehicle.
However, further analysis of the ONS data showed that there was a 2% rise in vehicle interference or tampering with a motor vehicle. This is where parts from the vehicle are stolen, such as catalytic converters, number plates, and vehicle badges.
In 2022-23, there were 52,268 reported incidents, which increased to 53,369 this year.
- Where are the UK’s car theft hotspots?
- Car security – how to stop thieves
- Just 2.2% of all car thefts result in criminal charges
Following the publication today of new data showing that there were nearly 130,000 recorded vehicle theft crimes in the 12 months to March 2024, RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “After falling steadily during the 2010s, the last few years have seen an alarming rise in the number of recorded crimes where vehicles are stolen with an average of 356 being taken every day of the year.
“And when you consider that most car theft crimes go unsolved,* it’s a pretty bleak picture. It’s a real cat-and-mouse situation between vehicle manufacturers and criminals, with carmakers ever tightening security, only for thieves to use increasingly using sophisticated tactics to find a way round their systems.
“We would like to see the new government take steps to tackle car crime by re-establishing the vehicle theft taskforce that was set up in 2019, or at least engaging heavily with police forces, manufacturers and the insurance industry to map out a way forward.”

Cheaper than AA Price Promise^
- Roadside cover from £5.29 a month*
- We get to most breakdowns in 60 mins or less
- Our patrols fix 4/5 breakdowns on the spot
*At least 10% of new customers pay this for single-vehicle Roadside (Basic). ^T&Cs apply.
* https://www.libdems.org.uk/press/release/over-3-in-4-car-theft-and-burglaries-go-unsolved-in-crime-catastrophe
You might also like

Catalytic converter theft rises as scrap metal prices soar - is your car at risk?

Catalytic converters – how to protect yours from theft
As catalytic converter theft rises across the UK, find out what steps you can take to protect your car and stop thieves from targeting your vehicle.

Catalytic converters: what does a catalytic converter do?
A catalytic converter is one of the most important components of your car. But how does it work? And what happens if it goes wrong?

More than a thousand stolen catalytic converters recovered by ‘Operation Goldiron’

Motorists urged to protect their vehicles as lockdown fuels catalytic converter thefts
Motorists urged to protect their vehicles as lockdown fuels catalytic converter thefts
Popular in News
1
Car buyers to save thousands as EV grant returns
2
Private parking companies issue a record 14.4m tickets to drivers in a single year
3
Drivers fined £1m from just 36 yellow box junctions in 2024
4
Road deaths on the rise in Great Britain
5
Private parking industry urged to publish ‘full and transparent’ complaints and appeals data
6
Drivers now able to search for new home that comes with EV chargers
7
Leicester’s Sean Kimberlin named as RAC Mobile Mechanic of the Year
8
Number of drivers caught using unroadworthy vehicles jumps by 52% in a year
9
Warning to drivers across the UK over fake parking apps
10