It’s estimated that 173 vehicles are stolen in the UK every day, that equates to one car stolen every eight minutes and 12 seconds.
According to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), 64,087 cars were stolen in 2023, a jump of 2,981 since the previous year (5%).
Here’s what to do if someone steals your car, the steps you can take to recover it, and a few tips on how to prevent it from being stolen.
What to do after your car is stolen
Before contacting anyone, we recommend answering the following questions if you can’t find your car:
- have I parked my vehicle somewhere else?
- does anybody else have access to my keys and have they have borrowed the vehicle?
- was it parked somewhere it shouldn’t have been and has it been towed?
If you're confident someone has stolen your vehicle, here’s what to do.
1. Contact the police
Report the stolen car to the police by dialling 101. Have your car’s registration number, make, model and colour to hand.
Once reported, you’ll get a crime reference number, and the police will tell the DVLA about the theft.
They’ll also let you know if the council’s towed your car.
2. Contact your insurance provider
Next, tell your insurance provider about the car theft. If we insure your vehicle, you can learn everything you need to know about making a claim with our guide.
3. Contact the DVLA if the claim is settled
If your insurer pays out on your claim, you must contact the DVLA and report that you’ve technically sold the car to your insurer.
If this happens, find out how to tell the DVLA your car’s been sold at GOV.UK.
What to do if your van is stolen
It’s the same process as if your car had been stolen. Your first step should always be to contact the police.
What to do if your tools are stolen from your van
You need to contact the police right away. They’ll give you a crime reference number, and you can then contact your insurance provider to make a claim.
Make sure you have receipts or proof of purchase ready.
Van insurance policies don’t usually cover tools or goods you keep in your van as standard. We offer a vehicle contents cover upgrade which can cover up to £6,000 worth of tools (policy limits and exclusions apply).
Do any car insurance policies not cover car theft?
Third-party-only (TPO) – the most basic insurance cover – doesn't cover theft because it's only designed to protect you if you injure someone with your vehicle or cause damage to their vehicle or property.
Vehicle theft is covered with third-party, fire and theft (TPFT) or comprehensive car insurance policies.
What happens if your car is recovered after theft?
According to Carmoola, only 50% of stolen vehicles in the UK were recovered in 2023.
If the police inform you that your car’s been found, you should tell your insurance provider immediately and pass on all the information you got from the police.
If you have TPFT or comprehensive insurance, your insurer should cover any damage to your vehicle.
Your insurer will assess what repairs are needed. If the repair cost exceeds the car's value, they may declare it a write-off.
If this happens, your insurer will likely offer to pay the car’s market value when it was stolen.
Can black box insurance help with a stolen car?
A black box tracks your driving style to establish whether you’re a safe driver, the GPS from the device can be used to help trace your car if it’s been stolen.
As part of our hard install Littlebox insurance, you’ll receive theft tracking once your device is installed, so if your car is ever stolen, we can help try and recover it.
Note not all black box or telematics policies have theft tracking. Speak with your insurer or read your policy documents to check.
Read our answers to the most commonly asked black box questions.
How to prevent car theft
It's impossible to fully eliminate the risk of someone stealing your car, but by reading our advice, you can help to reduce the risk of theft.
If you have a keyless car, protect your fob: find out more about how to protect your car from relay theft in our guide.
