For the fourth consecutive year, the Toyota Aqua has claimed the title of New Zealand’s most-stolen car.
AMI Insurance received more than 9000 vehicle theft and attempted theft claims in 2025.
AMI claims executive general manager claims Steph Ferris said the top 10 most-stolen cars were the Toyota Aqua, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Tiida, Mazda Demio, Toyota Vitz, Toyota Hilux, Subaru Impreza, Mazda Atenza, Toyota Mark X, and Mazda Axela.
In Otago, the most frequently stolen vehicles were Toyota Aquas, but Southland bucked the national trend because car thieves had a penchant for Suzuki Swifts.
She said the lengthy claims list spanned more than 760 different makes and models, but the Toyota Aqua made up 8% of all stolen vehicle claims, followed by the Toyota Corolla (7%) and the Nissan Tiida (6%).
For every 1000 insured Toyota Aquas, 54 had a theft claim, compared with 15 per 1000 Toyota Corollas.
The data also showed a clear trend when it came to vehicle age and theft risk, with nearly nine in 10 stolen vehicles being older than 10 years.
"Older vehicles often lack modern, electronic encrypted locking systems, making them easier for thieves to compromise."
Despite some hybrids topping the chart, they accounted for only about 5% of total thefts, and petrol or diesel-powered vehicles made up the vast majority.
About 64% of stolen vehicles were recovered, and 40% of those were repairable, but the remainder were typically written off and auctioned for parts.
She said claims had been lower over the past few years, following a peak in 2023.
"Lower crime rates, improved security systems in newer vehicles, and New Zealanders adopting security practices — including being more mindful about where they park — likely play a part in this."
She said there were many anti-theft measures that owners could consider, such as car alarm systems, immobilisers, fuel cut-out switches, steering wheel locks, handbrake locks, as well as parking behind a locked gate if a garage was not available.
Other security tips included attaching GPS tags to the car to assist the police when tracking the vehicle, and locking your car.
The top 10
Top 10 most-stolen cars in New Zealand according to AMI Insurance.—
1. Toyota Aqua
2. Toyota Corolla
3. Nissan Tiida
4. Mazda Demio
5. Toyota Vitz
6. Toyota Hilux
7. Subaru Impreza
8. Mazda Atenza
9. Toyota Mark X
10. Mazda Axela
