New Zealand

NZ's most stolen car stays the same for fourth year - Toyota tops thieves' list

Published by Sophie van Soest

03 Feb 2026

For the fourth year in a row, New Zealand’s most stolen car has remained the same, so if you haven’t already - I’d be thinking about selling up... or at least locking up.

The Toyota Aqua has taken out the unwanted crown as New Zealand’s most desirable car (for thieves), according to new data from AMI Insurance.

The insurer received more than 9,000 vehicle theft and attempted theft claims in 2025, for over 760 different makes and models.

But it was the Aqua that kept popping up time and time again. The Toyota Aqua alone made up 8% of ALL stolen vehicle claims, followed closely by the Toyota Corolla (7%) and Nissan Tiida (6%).

What’s wild is just how targeted the Aqua is. AMI’s data shows it’s stolen nearly four times more than the Toyota Corolla - which is the country's most insured vehicle.

For every 1,000 insured Aquas, 54 had a theft claim, compared with just 15 per 1,000 Corollas.

Toyota also received another top title for 2025 - a popular model taking out the most bought car by Kiwis in 2025.

Aqua owners dominate in Auckland, Canterbury and Otago, so region-wise, it’s not a HUGE shock where most thefts are happening.

Auckland tops the list, followed by Canterbury, Waikato, Wellington, and the Bay of Plenty.

AMI Executive General Manager of Claims, Steph Ferris, says things have been a bit calmer compared to the crime spike seen in 2023. However, she reckons it's due to lower crime rates overall, better security tech in newer cars, and Kiwis being a bit savvier about where they park and how they lock up.

Nearly nine in ten stolen vehicles are more than 10 years old, and older cars often don’t have today's modern locking systems, making them easier targets.

If you own one, maybe it’s time to think about safety measures like alarms, immobilisers, steering wheel or handbrake locks.

The silver lining (if you can call it that) is that around 64% of stolen vehicles are recovered, and about 40% of those can be repaired.

The rest unfortunately, usually end up written off and auctioned for parts.

And even if you don't own an Aqua, there are a few other makes and models to keep a close eye on.

AMI’s top 10 most stolen cars in NZ (2025):