No state has a bigger car crime problem right now than Victoria. While theft claims fell almost everywhere else in Australia through 2025, Victoria went sharply the other way — and the way cars are being stolen has fundamentally changed.
The numbers
The Crime Statistics Agency recorded 33,212 vehicle thefts in Victoria in the 12 months to September 2025 — record territory. Victoria Police reported motor vehicle theft up 47 per cent in the year to March 2025, the highest level since 2002, with theft from vehicles and number plate theft also up sharply.
Insurance data tells the same story. Insurance Council of Australia analysis for 2025 showed Victorian theft claims up around 25 per cent to more than 12,500, worth $243 million — more than every other mainland state combined. Melbourne accounts for the overwhelming majority of it.
Key cloning changed the game
Victoria Police estimates more than a quarter of stolen vehicles are now taken using key-cloning or reprogramming devices — as many as 30 cars a day — with roughly 800 such devices seized from offenders in a single year. These tools exploit keyless entry and the diagnostic port, so a late-model car with factory security is no longer the safe bet it once was.
The older channels haven't gone away either: break-ins to grab keys from inside the home remain a major source of thefts, and number plate theft jumped almost 50 per cent in a year.
The most stolen cars in Victoria
- Holden Commodore — around 1,300 a year, the long-running number one, with 2013–2017 models hit especially hard.
- Toyota HiLux — more than 1,000 in the year to September 2025, up 67 per cent.
- Toyota Corolla — close behind, up 66 per cent.
- Toyota LandCruiser — 846 stolen in 2025, up from just 89 in 2022, with export syndicates reported among the culprits.
- Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Impreza — both surging as key-cloning targets.
Toyotas fill six of the top ten spots — a function of both popularity and vulnerability to electronic theft.
Some good news
Police report around 80 per cent of stolen vehicles are eventually recovered — though often after being used in further offences, and not always in the condition they left in.
Protecting your car in Victoria
- Fit an OBD port lock — Victoria Police's specific advice for cloning-vulnerable models.
- Park off-street or garaged wherever possible.
- Store keyless fobs in a Faraday pouch, well away from doors and windows.
- A steering lock still works on older cars; anti-theft plate screws stop plate theft.
- A GPS tracker dramatically improves recovery odds and speed.
Buying used during a theft surge
More stolen cars means more attempts to launder them. Run a PPSR check, confirm the VIN matches everywhere it appears (compliance plate, chassis, papers), match the seller's ID to the registered operator, and treat a price well under market as the red flag it is.
If your car is stolen
Call 000 if it's in progress, or 131 444 to report. Notify your insurer, and watch for tolls and fines accruing in your name.
Figures reflect Crime Statistics Agency, Victoria Police and ICA reporting available in early 2026. Current data: crimestatistics.vic.gov.au.