More than 70,000 reports of theft were recorded by insurers in 2023. The Renault Cliot IV is the most stolen.
Bad news for insurers and insurers! The year 2023 was marked by a considerable increase in vehicle thefts in France, according to figures published by France Assureurs, revealed this Tuesday by The Parisian. There were 70,649 claims linked to vehicle theft, representing an increase of 11.1% compared to the previous year.
The nature of thefts has also evolved. Benot Leclair, director of Argos, a group of insurers specializing in the search for stolen vehicles, underlines a transition from opportunistic thefts to organized networks focused on international traffic.
These networks then resell the cars or two-wheelers in France and abroad, often via major French ports, or dismantle them to supply the parallel spare parts market. The Bouches-du-Rhne department is particularly affected, followed closely by Ile-de-France, Corsica and Loire-Atlantique.
Lexuses very popular with thieves
Concerning the most targeted vehicle models, the main models of French manufacturers dominate, with the Renault Clio IV at the head, followed by the Megane IV and some Peugeot 3008 II.
However, in terms of the frequency of thefts compared to the number of vehicles in circulation, the ranking changes: the Mégane IV is only seventh, while two models of Lexus, the RX II and the NXoccupy first and third place respectively.
Certain models also suffer from very strong demand abroad, as Toyota RAV 4a 4 x 4 particularly appreciated in Africa, and which comes in 2nd position in the ranking of flights by frequency, underlines The Parisian.
Here is the ranking of the most stolen cars in France in 2022