Auto insurance providers: Frequent target for vehicle burglars
Based on insurance statistics, approximately 14,600 vehicles, predominantly cars, were pilfered last year, resulting in approximately 310 million euros in damages. As per GDV, insurers on average shelled out about 21,400 euros for each incident, a 6% increase compared to the preceding year.
In 2023, Toyota models were the preferred targets for car thieves. The Japanese automaker claimed five spots on the list of the top 10 most stolen vehicles, with three of them leading the pack, including the Toyota Land Cruiser and variations of the Lexus NX and Lexus UX. "Surprisingly, other luxury and upper-middle-class SUVs also frequently pop up in this elite group," explained the insurance association.
The risk of car theft was highest in Berlin last year. In mathematical terms, a vehicle vanished every two hours, and an alarming 33% of all nationwide car thefts took place in Berlin. In 2023, around 4,300 vehicles were stolen in the capital, a staggering 46% increase from the previous year. While the number in Bavaria remained substantially lower at 600 vehicles, it had been 400 in 2022.
The General Association of the German Insurance Industry expressed concerns about the increasing trend of luxury and upper-middle-class SUVs becoming popular targets for car thieves. In their annual report, they highlighted the impact of car thefts on the insurance industry, with significant financial losses totaling hundreds of millions of euros.
