AMI has released information around vehicle thefts over the last three years, and found that the Mazda Demio is the most stolen car in New Zealand.

Of the 12,000 insurance claims AMI received for vehicle thefts over the past three years, the humble Demio accounted for 10 per cent of claims, despite only making up 1.5 per cent of the country's fleet.

The other models in the top ten most stolen cars are the Mazda Atenza (Mazda6), Nissan Tiida, Subaru Legacy, Mazda Familia, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Hilux, Ford Courier, Subaru Forester and Honda Civic.

Top 10 most stolen vehicles across New Zealand (based on AMI claims data from 2019 to 2021):

When asked why he thought the Demio was so targeted, AMI's executive general manager of claims, Wayne Tippet, says that AMI couldn't be completely sure, 'but like many of the models on the list, the Demio can often be perceived as easy to steal.”

'New Zealand has a high number of imported second-hand vehicles – the Demio included – which can lack security measures, such as immobilisers and car alarms. We encourage owners to double-check and if your vehicle doesn't, or can't have an immobiliser fitted, a steering wheel lock is also an effective and affordable option that will help deter thieves.”

The Subaru Legacy dropped to third most stolen for the three years analysed. The Impreza was sixth. Photo: Supplied/Stuff.

Interestingly, AMI's research shows that the Demio is also the most likely vehicle to be recovered.

Over the past three years, 94 per cent of stolen Demios were recovered – the highest rate out of the top 10 stolen vehicles and well above the average of 70 per cent across all vehicle models.

The Toyota Hilux has the lowest rates of recovery at 30 per cent, followed by the Ford Courier at 47 per cent.

You might have noticed the Courier name and already be writing a comment to point out the fact the Courier hasn't existed here for about 16 years. Stuff asked about this and was told that the Ranger is entered separately.

'There's a small chance some Ford Rangers may have been classified as Couriers, but it is too difficult for us to quantify.”

The most frequently stolen vehicle in each region:

Regionally, Auckland was the worst offender, with 39 per cent of all claims, despite holding only 31 per cent of the national vehicle fleet. With 4489 claims over the past three years, Auckland experienced almost double the amount of vehicle thefts as the second-worst region, Canterbury, which had 2074 claims.

According to the data, many stolen cars are parked on the street or outside someone else's property for the night.

Tippet says that 'while we'll always be here to assist our customers, it's good to be aware of some simple things you can do to reduce your risk, particularly if you own one of the models more likely to be stolen.”

Nile Bijoux/ Stuff