🚗 Car Theft is on the Rise – And No, Insurance Won’t Magically Solve It

🚗 Car Theft in Victoria: The Thieves Are Getting Smarter – Time to Catch Up

Ah, cars. We love them, we polish them, we even name them. But guess who else loves them? Thieves. Joyride Jerks. Fob Cloners. Whatever you want to call them, they’re out there, and they’re not using old-school coat hangers to break in anymore.

According to Victoria Police, we’re seeing a surge in high-tech car thefts across the state. Increasingly, cars are disappearing from driveways, streets, and shopping centre car parks—without any signs of forced entry and with the owners still holding onto their keys. That’s right. The car is just… gone.

🚨 How Bad Is It? Let’s Talk Numbers

• Over 18,000 cars were stolen in Victoria in just one year.

• That’s an average of 50 cars stolen per day—more than two cars every hour.

• Police intelligence suggests that 1 in 5 vehicles is now stolen using key cloning or reprogramming devices.

🚨 How Are They Doing It? Welcome to the Age of Digital Car Theft

Once upon a time, car thieves smashed windows, hotwired ignitions, and made a loud, messy scene. Today? They’re tech-savvy, equipped with electronic key programmers, and can drive off with your car in seconds—no key required.

Police intelligence suggests as many as one in five stolen cars in Victoria are taken using electronic key-cloning devices. These gadgets mimic or reprogram a car’s key once they’re plugged into the onboard diagnostic (OBD) port, bypassing security systems entirely. This method has been making waves in the United States and United Kingdom for years, and now it’s becoming alarmingly common here.

🎯 Which Cars Are Being Targeted?

If you own one of these vehicles, you might want to start sleeping with one eye open (or at least park smarter):

✅ Holden: Thefts up 92.9% (+1,377 cars stolen). Thieves are after Commodores (2013 – 2017), including sedans, utes, and wagons.

✅ Toyota: Thefts up 76.4% (+1,391 cars stolen). Hot targets include Hilux (2016 – 2023), LandCruiser (2008 – 2021), Camry (2014 – 2017), Prado (2012 – 2022), RAV4 (2019 – 2024), 86 (2012 – 2017), and C-HR (2017 – 2020).

✅ Subaru: Thefts up 107.8% (+402 cars stolen). The Impreza/WRX (2015 – 2018), Outback (2015 – 2018), XV (2014 - 2018), and Levorg (2016 – 2017) are prime targets.

No, it’s not random bad luck. These cars have push-start technology and an OBD port that can be easily accessed, making them prime hacking material.

🤷‍♂️ But Isn’t That What Insurance Is For?

Ah, the classic excuse. “Eh, if it gets stolen, my insurance will cover it.” Sure, but here’s the kicker: when theft rates go up, so do premiums. The more cars that vanish without a trace, the more we all pay. This isn’t just a headache for car owners—it’s an industry-wide issue.

Even Victoria Police’s Vehicle Crime Squad is working with car manufacturers and insurance companies to address the growing problem. But let’s be real—change takes time. In the meantime, we need to take action ourselves.

🔍 What Can You Do?

If we don’t want Victoria to turn into a car thief’s paradise, here’s what we can all do to fight back:

✔ Install an OBD Port Lock – This is a game-changer. These small, affordable locks prevent thieves from plugging in key reprogramming devices. They’re self-installable and could save you from waking up to an empty driveway.

✔ Track Your Car – GPS trackers like our Scout (OBD powered with a piggyback extension) or Summit (battery powered install anywhere in your car) to monitor your vehicle’s location, improving recovery chances. If your car is stolen, send a live tracking link to police—do NOT attempt to recover it yourself.

✔ Watch Your Neighborhood – If you see a dodgy car with no license plates parked in your street, report it immediately.

✔ Join Community Groups – Facebook groups and local WhatsApp chats are great for sharing suspicious activity (and let’s be honest, for keeping up with local drama).

✔ Park Smart – If you leave your car in a dark, quiet alley, don’t act surprised when it’s gone. Well-lit areas, locked garages, motion alarms, and security cameras make a difference.

🏁 Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, we all have to care about our cars. Not just because they’re expensive, but because if theft keeps rising, we all pay the price. While we can’t control rising interest rates or the cost of living, we CAN control how we protect our vehicles.

So let’s be proactive, be smart, and stop making life easy for thieves.

👉 Read the full police report here: Crime Statistics Victoria