The Toyota Aqua has again topped the list of most stolen cars in New Zealand, making up 8% of all stolen vehicle claims last year. 

New figures released by AMI today show the company received almost 12,000 vehicle claims last year, including those related to attempted vehicle theft. 

Of these, the Toyota Aqua accounted for 8% of all stolen vehicle claims, followed by the Toyota Corolla (6%) and the Nissan Tiida (5%). 

The small Aqua hatchback topped the charts in 2022 and 2023. 

The Auckland region recorded the highest level of vehicle thefts, followed by Canterbury, Waikato, Wellington, and Bay of Plenty. 

AMI claims executive general manager Wayne Tippet said stolen vehicle claims have begun to decrease for the first time in four years, with the number of those related to ram raids last year down by 50% compared with 2023. 

“This might suggest that, among unprecedented vehicle theft rates, New Zealanders have put security measures and practices in place, and are being more mindful about where they park their cars,” he said. 

The figures found 30% of stolen vehicles were not recovered in 2024, while 52% of recovered stolen vehicles were repairable. 

The AMI top 10 stolen cars list* 

• Toyota Aqua (=) 
• Toyota Corolla (+1) 
• Nissan Tiida (-1) 
• Mazda Demio (=) 
• Mazda Atenza (=) 
• Toyota Hilux (+4) 
• Toyota Vitz (=) 
• Subaru Impreza (=) 
• Toyota Mark X (-3) 
• Mazda Axela (+1) 

The Toyota Aqua has again topped the most stolen car in New Zealand list after accounting for 8% of all stolen vehicle claims. Photo / NZME 

The most frequently stolen vehicle in each region (regions ranked by claims volume) 

• Auckland - Toyota Aqua 
• Canterbury – Toyota Aqua 
• Waikato – Nissan Tiida 
• Wellington – Toyota Aqua 
• Bay of Plenty – Mazda Demio 
• Manawatū – Mazda Demio 
• Northland - Toyota Corolla 
• Hawke’s Bay - Mazda Demio 
• Otago - Nissan Tiida 
• Southland – Nissan Tiida 
• Gisborne – Toyota Corolla 
• Taranaki – Toyota Corolla 
• Nelson – Mazda Demio 
• Tasman – Ford Ranger 
• Marlborough – Audi A4 
• West Coast – Nissan Tiida 

*Data is sourced from IAG’s insurance brands’ motor claims from 2024. Cars are ranked from highest frequency of theft to lowest. Symbols indicate rank movement compared with 2023.