Warning about car models at risk of being stolen for spare parts
Hoods, bumpers and headlights are always easy-to-remove parts that attract thieves. According to recommendations, the following car models are at the highest risk of having their parts stolen.
According to the Sunday Times, the models considered most at risk of parts theft are the Vauxhall Corsa, Toyota Yaris, Ford Fiesta and Renault Clio.
Martin Aldridge, a 56-year-old railway inspector from Erdington, Birmingham, whose car had parts stolen, said there had been two thefts within a few months of each other targeting his 25-year-old daughter's cars. This had caused the family so much anxiety that they had to move away from the area where they had lived for the past two decades.
His daughter’s Renault Clio had its bonnet, front grille, bumpers and lights stripped off in November last year. She was then given a Vauxhall Corsa to use while her own car was repaired. Incredibly, the temporary car was targeted again in March.
The Clio has not been repaired because the garage has been unable to source the correct original parts. Mr Aldridge said his daughter was not even given a free replacement car because the area where the family lives is considered too unsafe.
"We're fed up with the rampant theft of auto parts and people are looking to get out of the area," he said.
West Midlands Police said that since September last year they had raided 22 “auto parts shops”, illegal garages where stolen cars were taken to be stripped of parts and resold.
But officers are concerned criminals are becoming more tempted to “part boil” cars parked on the streets. Det Supt Jim Munro, head of West Midlands Police’s vehicle crime taskforce, said: “It’s a shift in criminal behaviour.
“Here in the West Midlands, we’ve seen the first spike in car parts theft. According to the Office for National Statistics, around 212,900 car owners had their car parts stolen last year – a 10% increase on 2021.
And there were 108,542 car thefts in England and Wales in 2021-22, up 22% on the previous 12 months. Earlier this year, residents in Birmingham reported car parts thefts taking place even in broad daylight.
Children as young as 10 are stealing cars, according to research – with keyless cars appearing to be particularly vulnerable to criminals. Fiats have previously been revealed as one of the most frequently stolen models – along with Ford Fiestas and Range Rovers, according to DVLA figures compiled last year.
