Keyless theft has risen to an all-time high, with 93% of all recovered vehicles having been stolen without the thief having possession of the keys in 2020, according to analysis from stolen vehicle recovery (SVR) expert, Tracker.

This has nudged up from 92% in 2019 but represents a 26% increase in the past 5 years.

Thieves use sophisticated equipment to exploit keyless technology by hijacking the car key’s signal, typically from the security of the owner’s home, and remotely fooling the system into unlocking the doors and starting the engine, says Tracker. This is commonly known as a ‘relay attack’.

The new data from Tracker reveals that Range Rovers and Land Rovers take six of the ten places in the 2020 list of Tracker’s most commonly stolen and recovered vehicles.

The three top spots in the 2020 league table are all Range Rover models - Sport, Vogue and Autobiography. The Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Defender also make the top ten. 

These six models alone account for 37% of all stolen cars recovered by Tracker in 2020.

Clive Wain, head of police liaison for Tracker, said: “Range Rover and other Land Rover models have always featured in our top ten most stolen and recovered league table in the last 10 years, as has the BMW X5 which has slipped from second to fourth position in 2020.

“However, most premium 4x4 cars are hot targets, with car thieves stealing to order, often shipping them abroad or stripping them for parts in a chop shop to meet the growing demand for spare parts.”

Keyless car theft has risen dramatically in recent years. “It is quick and easy for professional criminals who have the tools and experience,” explained Wain.

“Cars are commonly taken from outside of the owners’ house, often discreetly and within minutes, meaning the theft often goes unnoticed for some time.

“We encourage drivers to use traditional visual deterrents such as crook locks and wheel clamps to deter criminals and protect their car, however in the event of a theft, stolen vehicle tracking technology will significantly help police quickly close the net on thieves and return the vehicle to its rightful owner.”

Tracker SVR solutions work like an electronic homing device. A covert transmitter is hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle and a combination of VHF with GPS/GSM technology, makes its units resistant to GPS/GSM jamming.

2020 Tracker’s Top Ten Most Stolen & Recovered Vehicles	2019 Tracker’s Top Ten Most Stolen & Recovered Vehicles
1. Range Rover Sport	1. Range Rover Sport
2. Range Rover Vogue	2. BMW X5
3. Range Rover Autobiography	3. Mercedes-Benz C Class
4. BMW X5	4. Range Rover Vogue
5. Land Rover Discovery / BMW 3 Series	5. Land Rover Discovery
6. Mercedes-Benz C-Class	6. BMW X6
7. Range Rover Evoque	7. Range Rover Evoque
8. Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG	8. BMW 3 Series
9. BMW M3 / Mercedes S-Class	9. Range Rover Autobiography
10. Land Rover Defender / Mercedes-Benz E-Class / BMW 6 Series	10. Mercedes E Class