The number of stolen cars rose by more than 11% to 70,649 in a year. Renault and Peugeot models are particularly popular among thieves.
Thief! Too late, your Renault Clio IV is gone, or your Megane, or even your new Peugeot 3008. These three models are the most popular among car thieves. According to figures released by GIE Argos, a group of insurers for the identification and recovery of stolen vehicles, 70,649 claims were registered in 2023. The figure is 11.1% higher than in 2022.
Among the models targeted by thieves, Clio IV takes the lead. 2,378 examples were stolen in 2023. In second place comes the Renault Megane IV, of which 1,297 models have gone missing, followed by the Peugeot 3008 II, stolen 1,181 times. Their fault? Parked en masse on French streets and quickly resold on the parallel market.
Safety Defects in Certain Vehicles
The Toyota RAV4 or Lexus NX, for example, have security flaws that make them privileged victims. For many years, thieves have been using fake connected speakers to steal Toyota 4x4s. By removing the bumper and accessing the headlight connector, thieves can gain access “CAN Bus”, the electronic brain of the car. Then they can send a fake key validation message. Once unlocked, the car can be started without resistance. Some videos of the flight, which was made in less than two minutes, are doing the rounds on social networks.
We also note the increase “Home Jacking” Stealing vehicles without committing burglary. Thieves then rely on unlocked doors to break into homes to steal car keys left on tables. “In recent years, homejacking has become a common practice in residential neighborhoods”notes the Ministry of Home Affairs on its website.
Bouches du Rhône, the most affected department
From a geographic point of view, car theft is clustered around the networks that allow their flow. The Bouches-du-Rhône department is the most affected region, according to figures from GIE Argos. The frequency of flights there reaches 52.7 per 10,000 households during the period between 2022 and 2023. A figure that can be explained by its proximity to the commercial port of Foss-sur-Mer, 70 km west of Marseille, which allows quick connections. the rest of the world. Val-d’Oise and Seine-Saint-Denis complete the unfortunate podium. At the back of the pack, we find the sections of Courage, Aveyron and Cantal.
