‘Highest since 2002’: This city is the car theft capital of Australia

As local drivers continue to combat the surge in car thefts across the country, Victoria took home the unenviable crown as the car theft capital of Australia.

A report published by the Insurance Council Australia (ICA) revealed that motor vehicle theft claims “have decreased in every state in the last financial year, except for Victoria – which saw the largest annual increase on record”.

According to the peak industry body, motor theft claims in Victoria increased by 59 per cent in the 12 months leading up to June 2025, with an additional 70 per cent increase in incurred costs.

The ICA said the “more than 12,000” theft claims recorded in the Garden State totalled $223 million between June 2024 and June 2025.

The insurance body’s data revealed that most car thefts occurred in metro Victoria, with the region recording the “largest increase” of claims and costs up 70 and 80 per cent, respectively.

Metro Victoria alone totalled 10,000 claims in the last financial year, equating to approximately $184 million “in insured losses”.

Additionally, country Victoria accounted for more than 2000 motor vehicle theft claims in the same period, with regional motorists incurring a collective $39 million in insurance fees.

Nationally speaking, the ICA’s latest report revealed that 30,000 motor vehicle theft claims were submitted over the past year, equating to a combined $466 million, up 20 per cent in comparison to the previous 12-month period.

But it’s not all bad news. According to the peak insurance body, Queensland experienced the largest decrease in motor vehicle theft claims, with the Sunshine State recording a 10 per cent reduction in car thefts over the past year.

Queensland's total 6300 claims, which include metro and country drivers, equate to $104 million in incurred losses, which the ICA said is "down 10 per cent from the previous 12-month period" and the "largest drop in both claims count and incurred costs the state has seen in more than a decade".

Additionally, New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia recorded decreasing rates of motor vehicle theft claims, with each state reducing their claims by 3, 10, and 10 per cent, respectively.

Andrew Hall, the CEO of the ICA, said while the data is “encouraging to see car crime claims on the decline in the majority of states”, it still is a cause of concern.

“Motor theft claims have been climbing significantly over the last decade, and while they only make up a small part of overall motor claims, this is a growing concern,” Hall said in a media statement.

“Everyone pays for car theft, through increased costs of policing, courts and ultimately insurance. We cannot accept this level of car crime as normal in Australia,” he added.

A comprehensive list of ICA vehicle theft data from various Australian states is provided below. Data courtesy of Insurance Statistics Australia.

According to recent Victoria Police intelligence, the Holden Commodore continues to be the most stolen car in the state. Additionally, popular cars with electronic push-start technology built in the mid-2010s to more recent years are also on thieves' radar.

These vehicles that don’t require a physical key to start have been prioritised by car thieves, largely due to the relative ease with which they can hijack the car’s security system and start the engine.

A spokesperson for Victoria Police said the latest ICA data revealed that "Car theft is trending towards levels not seen in Victoria since vehicle immobilisers became commonplace”.

"This coincides with more and more offenders using electronic devices that program or mimic your car keys. Police intelligence shows that as many as one in five of all cars are disappearing despite their owners retaining the keys.

"Police continue to arrest a significant number of offenders in possession of key reprogramming devices,” a Victoria Police spokesperson told Drive.

The state road authority said in the 12 months to the end of March 2025, 31,551 vehicles were reported as stolen – an increase of 10,099 or 47 per cent – which it claimed are the "highest levels since 2002".

A full list of Victoria's top 10 most stolen cars in the 28 days to June 23 2025 is listed below. Data courtesy of Victoria Police.

Beyond property crime, Victoria Police said, "a major concern for police is the increasing risk created on our roads as the number of stolen cars rises".

According to the road authority, "there has been a sharp spike" in the rate of collisions involving stolen cars, with 760 incidents reported in the 12 months to March 2025, of which six resulted in fatalities.

Further compounding this issue is the fact that "some of our most prolific youth offenders" are behind the wheel of these stolen cars, which Victoria Police allege "are driven at extreme speeds on our roads".

As road authorities continue to put away car thieves, experts recommend a variety of security devices for different budgets.

Electronic devices like on-board diagnostic (OBD) port locks, remote battery disconnect switches, engine immobilisers, and generic Bluetooth GPS devices are helpful in safeguarding your vehicle.

Jon Bergman, the Managing Director of Automotive Integration – a Melbourne-based automotive electronics company – told Drive, "GPS tracking is the best way to go, in my opinion, as you can still locate the car even if it's towed away without being started".

A spokesperson for Aus Security Products previously told Drive, "old-school methods like steering wheel [and] gear stick locks or wheel clamps act as a deterrent to potential thieves".

According to Victoria Police, basic things like keeping your car keys in a safe location and parking in a secure, well-lit area can also be a potential theft deterrent.

Ethan Cardinal graduated with a Journalism degree in 2020 from La Trobe University and has been working in the fashion industry as a freelance writer prior to joining Drive in 2023. Ethan greatly enjoys investigating and reporting on the cross sections between automotive, lifestyle and culture. Ethan relishes the opportunity to explore how deep cars are intertwined within different industries and how they could affect both casual readers and car enthusiasts.

Read more about Ethan Cardinal