Car thieves have different preferences depending on the region – in the US they usually go for full-size trucks or Hyundai/Kia models and in the UK they are obsessed with Range Rovers, but what about Japan? The obvious answer is Toyota / Lexus, as the automaker occupies 9 out of 10 spots in Japan’s top 10 list of most stolen vehicles for 2023.
The Toyota Land Cruiser retains the number-one spot for a third consecutive year, showing that thieves appreciate spacious, reliable, and off-road capable SUVs. Next up is the Toyota Alphard minivan followed by the Toyota Prius.
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As you can see below, the pattern is not coincidental as seven out of the ten most stolen vehicles come from Toyota, two from Lexus, and one from Mercedes-Benz making it the only non-Japanese entry. This is not surprising, as the equivalent lists for 2021 and 2022 were all Toyota and Lexus. Note that the numbers for the Land Cruiser include the Prado.
- Most Stolen Vehicles In Japan
- 1 – Toyota Land Cruiser – 383 cases
- 2 – Toyota Alphard – 364 cases
- 3 – Toyota Prius – 307 cases
- 4 – Lexus LX – 120 cases
- 5 – Toyota Hiace – 60 cases
- 6 – Toyota Crown – 53 cases
- 7 – Toyota Vellfire – 43 cases
- 8 – Lexus RX – 42 cases
- 9 – Toyota Harrier – 37 cases
- 10 – Mercedes-Benz (model not specified) – 37 cases
The list was compiled by the General Insurance Association of Japan as part of a survey on car theft cases in the country. The data for car thefts is collected from 21 insurance companies that operate in the region. The top 10 models represent 55.7 percent of the total car thefts. The 2,597 reported cases in 2023, are slightly down from the 2,656 stolen cars in 2022 but more than the 2,425 cases in 2021.
As reported by Response, more than half (58.5 percent) of the car thefts occurred during the night with car thieves taking advantage of the low light conditions and the reduced traffic.
