Theft statistics: which car is stolen most often in the Netherlands?

The Toyota RAV4 is still the most stolen car in the Netherlands. About eight times a week, thieves manage to steal this model. Overall, the number of car thefts is rising sharply in 2025. What about the other brands and models?

In this blog, we present figures and trends regarding car theft in the Netherlands in 2025. We provide the top 10 most stolen brands, the top 10 most stolen models, and other statistics. The data comes from the dashboard zichtopvoertuigcriminaliteit.nl of Stichting VbV and is updated through 31 December 2025. Commercial vehicles are not included here.

In this article:

• Top 10 most stolen car brands of 2025
• Top 10 most stolen car models of 2025
• Kia Sportage popular
• Almost 7,500 car thefts in 2025
• Not many more stolen cars recovered
• What is the risk of my car being stolen?
• SCM classes: what about insurance and car security?

1 - Toyota - 1102
2 - Volkswagen - 1008
3 - Mercedes-Benz - 614
4 - Audi - 478
5 - Kia - 422
6 - Peugeot - 420
7 - BMW - 411
8 - Renault - 364
9 - Ford - 302
10 - Fiat - 300

It is noticeable compared to last year's figures that almost all brands in the top 10 show an increase in thefts. Only BMW and Ford have decreased slightly. Volkswagen and Toyota have exceeded 1,000 thefts in 2025.

403 times in 2025. That is how often thieves took a Toyota RAV4. This model is by far the most stolen car in the Netherlands. The RAV4 has held this position since 2022, when it took the 'top spot' from the Volkswagen Polo. The Polo has meanwhile dropped to 3rd place in the top 10. In 2nd place is another Volkswagen: the Golf.


this is the top 10 most stolen car models of 2025:

1 - Toyota RAV4 - 403
2 - Volkswagen Golf - 347
3 - Volkswagen Polo - 283
4 - Mercedes-Benz A-class - 184
5 - Kia Sportage - 177
6 - Honda C-HR - 161
7 - Fiat 500 - 169
8 - Toyota Yaris Cross - 102
9 - Toyota Corolla Cross - 94
10 - Toyota Aygo - 93

Last year, the Audi A3 Sportback, the Ford Kuga, and the Ford Fiesta were in 8th, 9th, and 10th place, respectively. These models have made way for three Toyota models in 2025.

The RAV4 is therefore again number 1 on this list. Toyotas are highly sought-after cars in Africa due to the well-established spare parts distribution network there and are also relatively easy to steal. Via the ports of Antwerp or Rotterdam, they are transported and disappear, unless the cars are equipped with a recovery or tracking system. In case of theft, the challenge is to track the car before it ends up in one of the many tens of thousands of containers. Stichting VbV therefore urges telematics systems to be installed in RAV4s.

As predicted earlier, 2025 is a record year for car thefts. On 31 December, the counter stood at 7,430 thefts. This is the highest number since 2019 and about 800 more thefts than in 2024. Although there are also more cars on the road, the number of thefts is increasing disproportionately. Stichting VbV already indicated in a report that the number of thefts in the first half of 2025 had risen by no less than 20%.

When are most cars stolen?
Is there a summer or winter peak? The number of thefts is roughly at the same level each month, and we cannot really speak of extremes. September was the top month, with 689 thefts recorded. In June, only 601 thefts were recorded.

With more and more tracking systems in all variants and other measures, one might think that the number of cars recovered after theft would increase. unfortunately, that is not the case. Theft is still profitable, and for years thousands of cars have disappeared, with all the consequences that entails. In 2025, 3,816 stolen cars were recovered. This is slightly more than half of the total number of stolen cars, although naturally, cars stolen in previous years are also recovered, and some cars stolen in 2025 will be recovered in 2026.

Insurers do set additional security requirements for cars with a high risk of theft or high value. Think of an alarm, tracking system, and a class TV recovery system, such as the Mi01 Tracer from Moving Intelligence. With the Tracer, 94% of stolen vehicles are recovered after theft.

Based on factors such as the theft risk of a specific type of car, insurers determine whether (additional) vehicle security needs to be installed. This security must comply with one or more Kiwa SCM classes. These are different categories of certified vehicle security, such as an immobiliser, an alarm, a tracking system, a recovery system, or a combination of these. This helps to prevent theft or to recover vehicles after theft. Always check with your insurer or dealer in time to find out what the requirements are.