What is a Stolen Car?
A stolen vehicle means an insured vehicle that causes bodily injury to the Participant arising out of a motor vehicle accident if the vehicle is operated without the consent of the insured and the operator of the vehicle does not have collectible motor vehicle bodily injury liability insurance.
Top Stolen Cars In South Africa
VW Polo Hatchback
Starting off the list of most stolen cars in South Africa is the VW Polo Hatchback. According to the car.co.za, the 6th model of this Polo has sold over 80,000 units since it was released in 2018. It was the most-sold passenger vehicle in 2019.
It is not unusual to see Polo hatchbacks from time to time on South African roads when you run errands during the day.
As such, it is targeted by thieves for resale and for parts. A new VW Polo hatchback will set you back between R 311 800 and 489 400. Used older models go for between R 160 000 and R 200 000.
VW Polo sedan
The VW Polo sedans on South African roads are either one of two kinds. They are either trendlines or comfort lines.
They are the saloon car (sedan) version of the VW Polo hatchback, just like the name suggests. These models of the Polo are also popular attractions to car thieves. A new Polo Sedan with 63 kW of power costs R 270 000 while one with 77kW of power costs around R 340 000.
Toyota Hilux
“Bakkies,” as pickup trucks are commonly referred to in South Africa, are popular cars. The Toyota Hilux is one of the most sought-after bakkie models.
A cars.co.za release ranks it in the top five best-selling bakkies of June 2022, having sold 969 units. Although, this was after the devastating April floods affected the supply of Toyota Hilux cars. For perspective, it was the top-selling car of the year in 2020.
This car shares an engine with the Toyota Quantum (which is used as a minibus taxi) and Toyota Fortuner.
Ford Ranger
Ford Ranger is another commonly stolen vehicle in South Africa. It was the top best-selling bakkies vehicle model in June, according to a release by cars.co.za. A single-cabin, two-wheel drive Ford Ranger with a 2.2-liter diesel TDCI engine is the entry-level priced Ranger.
It costs about R 296 000 from Ford Motors. On the other hand, a double cabin, 4-wheel drive Ford Ranger Raptor Special Edition with a 2-liter BiT engine is the higher end of these cars. It goes for about R 869 000.
Nissan NP200
Nissan NP200 perfectly succeeded the Nissan 1400 (Nissan Champ) as one of the bakkies defining South Africa. Although the big bakkies have won over the appeal of many South Africans, the NP200 still remains popular.
It manages to strike a good balance between affordability and value for money. It has a load box big enough to manage a load of up to 300kgs. At the same time, it is small enough to pass off for a normal everyday car. So it is used both for personal and business purposes.
Toyota Fortuner
Sharing an easily swappable engine with two other popularly used cars increases the risk of theft of parts. As mentioned before, the Toyota Fortuner, the Hilux, and Quantum Taxi share an engine. This puts the Hilux and Fortuner models at high risk of theft for parts.
They are stolen more than Quantum because they are popular with personal car owners. This is due to the fact that personal car owners are less likely to get additional security for their vehicles.
Nissan Navara
Also on the list is the Nissan Navara. It brings formidable competition to the two top-selling 4-wheel drive off-road bakkies–the Hilux and the Ford Ranger.
The lowest spec of the new Navara costs about R 660 000 while the highest spec one costs about R 740 000.
Toyota Etios
In 2020, the Toyota Etios sold 5 806 units. It was the 12th most-bought car in South Africa that year. It is a good hatchback alternative for buyers looking for an everyday workhorse.
A 2020 Etios 1.5 liter Xi engine costs about R 175 000 in car dealerships. Older models, however, cost less.
Toyota Yaris
The Toyota Yaris not only brings a sporty outlook to the category of hatchbacks but also packs good power under the hood.
In South Africa, the current flagship Yaris is the Toyota GR Yaris. It has a 1.6-liter 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 198kW power and 360Nm of torque.
It is also among the most frequently stolen cars in South Africa. Consequently, if you want to own one, beware of this risk. A new Toyota GR Yaris costs R 761 200 from Toyota South Africa.
How many cars are stolen in South Africa?
According to the most recent South African Police Service (SAPS) report, cases of reported hijackings in this country have increased by up to 30% since 2019, and 15% when compared to 2021.
With a total of 23,025 vehicles stolen by the end of 2022, this works out to 63 new cases a day.
What is the most hijacked car in South Africa?
According to Fidelity ADT’s latest statistics, Toyota models remain the most targeted cars in South Africa, accounting for 31.6% of the group’s incidences.
Toyota is followed by Volkswagen (VW) – accounting for 14.1% – and Ford, representing 10.4% of the group’s incidences.
What are the high-risk vehicles in South Africa?
Bartmann noted that the following models are at high-risk for hijackings:
- VW Polo – accounting for 8.6% of reported thefts;
- Toyota Hilux (6.8%);
- Toyota Etios (4.8%);
- Ford ranger (4.9%);
- Toyota Fortuner (4.6%); and.
- Nissan NP200 (4.2%)
Where do most cars get stolen in South Africa?
However, Gauteng still has the most hijackings overall, with a 17% increase. According to Crime Stats SA, over 19 380 vehicles were reported hijacked and stolen in Gauteng in less than a year.