Where Do Australia’s Cars Get Stolen?

Get the full state-by-state motor vehicle theft picture from the latest data.

In the latest Australian vehicle theft figures, we see a paradox. 2024 saw a decrease in offences across most states and territories. But Victoria’s 41% surge offset everyone’s progress.  

How Victoria Broke Away From The Pack.

Plotting each state’s trend from 2023 to 2024 makes the bigger picture clear. Victoria added 6,550 victims of vehicle theft in that year – this is a bigger increase than the ACT, Tasmania and the NT record in total, combined. Meanwhile, WA reduced its theft by over 1,000 – the most significant improvement in the country.

Which State Is Australia’s Theft Capital?

Adjusted for population, NT beats Victoria hands down as the most risky state to own a car. Even though the territory records one of the lowest numbers in an absolute sense, its rate of 680 per 100,000 is more than 4X bigger than NSW’s rate of 145 per 100,000. Victoria and Queensland record roughly 320 and 310, respectively.

The Top 10 Most Stolen Cars In Australia.

Toyota accounts for six of the ten most stolen car models. But curiously, not a single EV made the top 10 list. In fact, less than 50 Tesla Model Y – Australia’s best-selling EV – were reported stolen Australia-wide in the year to September 2025.

  • Holden Commodore
  • Toyota Hilux
  • Toyota Corolla
  • Toyota LandCruiser
  • Toyota RAV4
  • Toyota Camry
  • Nissan Navara
  • Ford Falcon
  • Toyota Prado
  • Nissan Patrol

Data provided by the ABS, Crime Statistics Agency Victoria, BOSCAR and state Police departments.

What are the odds of your stolen car being found and returned to you?

Police and insurance companies recover the majority of stolen vehicles in Australia. But their odds of success depend on the thief’s motive.

Cars are mostly stolen for joyriding and petty theft reasons -and tend to be recovered 60-80% of the time – but many come back to their owners damaged.

Motorcycles are recovered about 50% of the time. Because they’re much easier to strip and hide, they are more frequent targets of professional rebirthing operations.