The cars stolen most: Volkswagen is on top
On the 2020 list, Volkswagen models are on top: the Golf from the Mk2 to the Mk7, the Passat, Polo, Touran, Tiguan and Caddy. After Volkswagen come Audi, Renault, Citroën, Peugeot, Škoda, Opel and BMW, mostly the 3 and 5 Series.
In Belgrade in 2022, Renault was on top for the first time, with Volkswagen second. After them the Belgrade police list Fiat, Audi, Zastava, BMW and Škoda. More about car theft in Belgrade
Parts are stolen too. For Belgrade the Ministry of the Interior says these are most often headlights, mirrors and catalytic converters.
Why thieves pick these cars
Used parts for these models are in the highest demand, so they pay thieves best. Thieves pick a car without modern theft protection, parked where they can work undisturbed.
Many thieves steal mostly one make, such as Volkswagen, Audi or Zastava.
When the key is left in the car, the make does not matter. The thief takes whatever car is there at that moment.
That is why the police advise protecting every car, whatever it is worth. Protection can be mechanical, such as a steering wheel or gearstick lock, or electronic, such as an alarm and an immobiliser.
How to protect a car from this list
Protection depends on how the thief works.
The thief takes the car while the key is insideSwitch off the engine, take the key and lock the car even when you step out briefly. An immobiliser lets the engine start only when its small fob is in the car. When you carry the fob separately from the key, a thief cannot start the switched-off engine even with the key left in the car.
The thief makes a new key through the OBD portThe OBD port is the place under the steering wheel where diagnostics plug in. It is in the same place on every car of the same model, so the thief knows exactly where to look. This theft is stopped by OBD port relocation. The thief finds the factory port, but it does not work without the small adapter you carry.
The thief opens a keyless car with your key signalA keyless key opens and starts the car without being taken out of your pocket, so the thief relays its signal to the car. A key pouch and an immobiliser help. The pouch blocks the key signal. The immobiliser stops the engine from starting without your fob, even if the thief does catch the signal. More about keyless theft- The thief removes headlights, mirrors or the catalytic converterThe alarm sounds the siren when someone opens a door, hits, moves or lifts the car. More about car alarm installation
The thief drives the car away and strips it for partsAn alarm with GPS alerts your phone as soon as someone moves the parked car and shows where it is. The engine will not start without your fob. More about GPS tracking
More about Volkswagen protection · More about Audi protection · More about Škoda protection · More about BMW protection
Where stolen cars end up
Thieves strip a stolen car for parts or change its chassis number and sell it, in Serbia or abroad.
- As parts: the car is taken apart in a workshop or at a scrapyard, and the parts are sold in Serbia and the region, at car markets and through ads.
- In Kosovo, with a fake chassis number and papers.
- In the European Union, also with fake papers and a changed chassis number.
A car sold whole gets a chassis and engine number that match the papers of another car of the same make and model. Thieves also buy those papers from cars that were in a bad crash.
When you buy a stolen car from a private seller through an ad, the purchase does not make you the owner, even if you did not know it was stolen. Check the chassis number, papers and keys before paying a deposit.
The real owner can sue to get the car back. More about checking a car before you buy
Toyota and Lexus are targets in Europe
In Germany in 2024, 4 Toyota and Lexus models were among the 10 most stolen: the Toyota Land Cruiser and RAV4 and the Lexus NX and UX.
These models are also the best-known example of the headlight attack.
The attack does not go through the OBD port. An additional immobiliser or an alarm that blocks starting stops it. More about protecting a Toyota or Lexus
