Vehicle Theft Report: The UK’s Most Commonly Stolen Car Parts

While we all generally take precautions to prevent our vehicles from being stolen, it seems not all of us are as careful when it comes to protecting our car’s parts from theft. One in five (20%) have experienced a car part theft – whether it be a stolen wing mirror, wheels, or the re-sale hot commodity of catalytic converters, we reveal.

To find out which car parts are the most at risk, which ones are most commonly stolen and how much it costs to replace them, our car insurance team surveyed more than 2,000 UK drivers. We’ve also taken a closer look at which areas of the UK experience the most car part thefts, and the specific parking locations that might leave you and your car more vulnerable to becoming a victim.

One in five drivers have experienced a vehicle part robbery costing over £1,200

As well as investigating which car parts are most often targeted by thieves, we also wanted to find out how much these thefts are costing drivers across the country. The average value of car parts stolen in the UK is £746.63, according to calculations from our research. And as many as one in five drivers (20%) have experienced car part theft that cost them over £1,200 to replace.

The value of stolen car parts is highest in Greater London, where it reaches an average of £985.58, and lowest in Wales with an average of £510.38.

On-street parking is the number one trouble spot for car part theft

Wondering how to prevent having parts of your vehicle stolen? Avoid leaving your car parked on the street, if possible.

On-street parking as the worst location for car part theft, with 19% of respondents saying they have fallen victim to this crime while their car was parked on the street outside where they live, the survey reveals. A further 14% said they experienced car part theft while their car was parked on the street in a residential area, and 13% said their car was parked on their driveway when parts were stolen.

The top five car part theft trouble spots

The UK’s top 10 car part theft hotspots

Having looked at specific locations that are likely to leave you most vulnerable to car part theft, but which cities have the highest risk?

Based on the percentage of drivers who reported having a car part stolen, our ranking revealed London as the number one city where cars are most vulnerable, with 28% of London drivers having experienced a stolen car part. This was followed by Birmingham, where 24% of drivers reported a car part theft, and Sheffield with 23%.

On the other hand, residents of Edinburgh (8%), Brighton (10%) and Belfast (14%) were the least likely to have experienced car part theft, according to our findings.

Almost one in three drivers (32%) do not take any additional measures to secure their cars

In light of the fact that one in five of us have experienced car part theft, it’s surprising that almost one in three (32%) drivers admitted to not taking any extra steps to secure their cars against theft when asked what measures they took.

Of those who did take extra measures, the most common was taking out comprehensive car insurance, which 29% of drivers said they have done. This won’t prevent theft from occurring but could offer some extra cover should you fall victim to car part theft by offering the highest possible financial protection for your car.

The second most popular measure was parking in an area with CCTV (16%), followed by buying a steering wheel lock (13%).

The top five measures drivers take to secure their cars