Revealed – New Zealand's most stolen car in 2025 – Insurance Business
By Roxanne Libatique
AMI Insurance is reporting more than 9,000 vehicle theft and attempted theft claims for the 2025 calendar year, with its latest analysis confirming the Toyota Aqua as the most frequently stolen car in New Zealand for the fourth year in a row.
Using its 2025 motor claims and policy data, AMI analysed more than 760 different makes and models. The insurer’s figures show the Toyota Aqua accounting for 8% of all stolen vehicle claims, ahead of the Toyota Corolla at 7% and the Nissan Tiida at 6%. The Aqua is also overrepresented when theft is assessed against the size of the insured fleet. AMI recorded 54 theft claims for every 1,000 insured Aquas, compared with 15 theft claims per 1,000 Corollas, which it identifies as New Zealand’s most insured model.
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The AMI top 10 list for 2025, ordered by theft frequency, is:
Five Toyota models sit within the top nine, consistent with the make’s share of the light vehicle fleet and the used‑import segment. AMI executive general manager claims Steph Ferris (pictured) said that while the ranking is stable, overall loss experience has shifted from earlier peaks. “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,” Ferris said.
AMI’s claims data shows that theft exposure varies across regions. Auckland generated the highest volume of claims, followed by Canterbury, Waikato, Wellington, and Bay of Plenty. Model mix also differs by location. The Aqua was the most frequently stolen vehicle in Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago. The Corolla topped theft claims in Waikato, Wellington, Bay of Plenty, Northland, and Taranaki, where it shared first place with the Tiida. Other leading models by region included the Mazda Atenza in Hawke’s Bay, the Mazda Demio in Gisborne and Tasman, the Suzuki Swift in Southland, the Toyota Hilux on the West Coast, and the Honda Jazz in Marlborough. AMI reported that about 64% of stolen vehicles were recovered. Of those, around 40% were repaired and returned to service, while the remainder were typically written off and sold for parts. Hybrids appeared in the rankings but made up only about 5% of total thefts, with petrol and diesel vehicles comprising the bulk of claims.
Vehicle age remains a key factor in AMI’s loss patterns. The insurer said nearly nine in 10 stolen vehicles were more than 10 years old. “Older vehicles often lack modern, electronic encrypted locking systems, making them easier for thieves to compromise,” Ferris said. AMI has outlined a range of risk‑management measures for policyholders, including car alarm systems, immobilisers, fuel cut out switches, steering wheel locks, handbrake locks, and using garages or locked driveways where available. Basic practices such as locking vehicles, removing valuables from view, and avoiding leaving keys or engines running when unattended are also part of its guidance.
Consumer research site MoneyHub has separately reviewed New Zealand Police data for the six months from June 22 to Dec. 20, 2025, and its findings broadly align with AMI’s insurance claims. Over that period, MoneyHub identified 4,373 unique vehicle thefts and estimated that around 8,000 to 10,000 cars are stolen annually, or roughly 20 to 30 per day nationwide. In the police data set, Toyotas represented 30.7% of all car thefts, with 1,010 vehicles stolen in six months. Hilux thefts averaged more than one per day, and Canterbury recorded high volumes of ute theft, including Hilux and other utility models. Northland had the highest theft rate on a per‑capita basis, with about 14 vehicles stolen per 10,000 people, compared with three per 10,000 in Southern.
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MoneyHub’s analysis also highlighted vehicle age as a consistent characteristic. The average stolen car was 22 years old, with a median age of 19 years, and 70% of stolen vehicles were at least 15 years old. When adjusted for the number of each model on the road, older utes showed higher theft rates than many passenger vehicles on an individual‑risk basis. MoneyHub identified the Ford Courier and Mazda Bounty as having the highest theft rates, while the Toyota Hilux, Corolla, and Ford Ranger showed lower per‑vehicle risk despite appearing in top‑10 counts by volume.
For insurers and intermediaries, the convergence between AMI’s claims data and police‑based research points to several persistent features of motor theft risk: older vehicles without advanced security systems, commonly owned Japanese imports with active parts markets, and utes and vans used in rural, trades, and commercial settings. AMI’s guidance on physical and electronic security measures, together with MoneyHub’s model‑specific theft analysis, suggests ongoing differentiation in pricing and underwriting for certain vehicles. Higher‑risk models and older cars without immobilisers or encrypted locking systems are likely to attract closer attention on premiums, excess structures, and cover terms, while brokers and advisers may use these data sets to inform risk discussions with clients considering vehicle purchases, financing, and insurance arrangements.
