Car thefts jumped in France last year and this brand well known to the French is the first victim.
If you had your car stolen last year, know that you are not the only person this mishap has happened to. This will certainly not console you, but vehicle thefts have exploded in 2023. The progression of offenses is dizzying with an increase of +11.1% according to figures revealed by Le Parisien which obtained data from the group of French insurers for the identification and return of stolen vehicles. In total, 70,649 owners had their vehicles stolen last year. And among all these victims, many were driving models of the same brand. Five of the ten most stolen vehicles last year actually came from the same manufacturer’s factories.
If you own a Renault, the ranking published by the regional daily will not reassure you. Even less if you drive a Clio, III or IV, a Megane, III or IV, or a Master III utility vehicle, all of which are very well placed on the list of criminals. Having become the leader in new car sales in France last year, Renault is paying a heavy price for its success in this area. Because without much surprise, the models most popular with motorists are also those which are most sought after by thugs, assured in this way of being able to easily sell their loot. And this is confirmed when reading THE car most often stolen last year.
This is the Renault Clio, and in particular the fourth generation on the market since 2012. The city car, 2,378 examples of which were officially stolen last year, is well ahead of No. 2 in this ranking, another Renault , namely the Megane III (1,297 flights). The Clio III appears in eighth place (985 flights), confirming the attraction of thugs for the model. The Peugeot brand is not spared since three of its models including the two versions of the 208, I and II, as well as the 308 II and 3008 II, appear in this inglorious hit parade where we find only one vehicle non-French, the Toyota RAV4 V.
The Top 10 most stolen vehicles in 2023:
- Renault Clio IV → 2378
- Renault Megane IV →1297
- Peugeot 3008 II → 1181
- Peugeot 308 II → 1177
- Toyota RAV4 V → 1151
- Peugeot 208 → 1091
- Peugeot 208 II → 1006
- Renault Clio III → 985
- Renault Master III → 934
- Renault Megane III → 683
Unlike in the fairly recent past, most vehicle thefts today occur without the slightest break-in. Thieves generally no longer need to break a window or force a door; the vast majority of thefts are carried out smoothly using electronic tools (jammer for the central locking system, box to intercept the signal from the key…). With quick and quiet processes, thieves are becoming more and more difficult to intercept, which is obviously not good news for motorists.