The thief from here: Russian and Chinese cars were stolen most often in 2025

Lada Niva cars, as well as JAC and Nissan brands, were among the most stolen cars last year, insurance companies reported. Popular models are hijacked and promptly disassembled for spare parts within a radius of 10-15 km, experts said. Premium SUVs are being stolen for resale entirely using forged documents. About what other cars attracted the hijackers, see the Izvestia article.

Which brands were stolen in 2025

Last year, Lada (Russia), JAC and Haval (China), as well as Nissan and Lexus (Japan) became popular brands of cars that were stolen by criminals, insurance companies told Izvestia. Lada Niva became the leader of the anti—rating, which accounted for more than half of the incidents - 55%, the Consent company clarified.

—Criminals are particularly interested in Chinese cars, which are the most popular on the market," the press service added. — One of the targets of theft is expensive original spare parts. For example, the new front headlight on the Haval M6 costs about 127 thousand rubles, and the tailgate on the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro costs about 133 thousand rubles. In the secondary market, these parts lose 50-70% of their value, but even so, their price is significant for criminals.

Among the drivers who have issued a hard hat in Sberbank Insurance, owners of Kia and Hyundai cars have most often faced theft in the last two years, the company's press service told Izvestia. The leaders among stolen cars in 2025 were Japanese-made cars, added Yulia Fedotova, head of the Department of Loss Settlement at Absolut Insurance.

— During the year, one car was found, — she noted.

The leading regions in car theft were Moscow, the Moscow Region, St. Petersburg, the Leningrad Region and the Krasnodar Territory. The championship in the theft of insured vehicles belongs to domestic-made cars, the second and third places are shared by Korean and Chinese cars, said Sergey Yefremov, Vice-president of the All-Russian Union of Insurers (VSS).

In Moscow, the frequency of hijackings is 1.5 times higher than in St. Petersburg. Of the total number of cars stolen in 2025, two cars have been found so far. Premium class cars are usually stolen for resale with a change in the VIN number, and the mass market is stolen for disassembly for spare parts, said Sergey Demidov, vice president of Renaissance Insurance.

The attackers' interest in commercial vehicles and special equipment, in particular, Chinese-made trucks, was also noted by Maxim Dmitriev, director of Ingosstrakh's retail Business Loss Settlement department.

In the freight transport segment, Sinotruk Sitrak (China) occupies the first place in hijacking, according to Consent. The attackers' interest in commercial vehicles is caused by the high cost and shortage of original spare parts.

According to the Interior Ministry, in January-November last year, the number of car thefts decreased by 22.2%, and thefts by 11.7%.

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How cars are stolen today

The high demand for spare parts and the relative vulnerability of standard security systems make models included in the list of particularly stolen ones attractive to criminals, insurance companies are confident. Attackers use methods available on the network: scanners to copy key signals or "fishing rods" to amplify the radio signal. This allows you to open and start the car without a physical key.

— Statistics are the best guide for the owner. If your model is headed by an anti—rating, for example, Niva, this is a direct indication of the need to strengthen protection. This may be an additional alarm system, parking in a secure parking lot, or cameras in the courtyard of the house," said Dmitry Sokolov, deputy director of the Department of underwriting and Product Management at Consent.

A large number of car thefts in 2025 is due to a shortage of spare parts, confirmed Alexey Ivanov, the owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network. After 2022, there were difficulties with the supply of original parts, and prices rose.

— There was a demand — there was an illegal supply, — he noted. — Hence the basic scheme — disassembly for spare parts. Popular models like Kia, Hyundai, Lada, Chinese Chery and Haval are hijacked and taken away to a distance of 10-15 km, where they are completely disassembled. Everything is involved: from the engine to the interior parts.

It is almost impossible to identify a disassembled car, and spare parts are distributed through "gray" service stations and bulletin boards.

— The second scheme is "custom—made", — said the expert. — Premium SUVs like the Range Rover or BMW X6 are stolen entirely for resale using forged documents, for example, through Kazakhstan. The implementation proceeds through two channels. Spare parts are sold on local markets and online — there are plenty of offers, prices are lower than the official ones. After interrupting the VIN numbers, whole cars are exported abroad or sold inside the country with fake identification cards.

Article 166 of the Criminal Code provides for liability for unlawful possession of a car or other vehicle without the purpose of theft, which is commonly referred to as theft, recalled Vladimir Kuznetsov, chairman of the All-Russian Trade Union of Mediators.

— The essence of this crime lies in the fact that the perpetrator does not intend to appropriate the car or extract financial benefits from it, but only uses it for a trip, after which he abandons it. The punishment can range from a fine to imprisonment for up to 12 years," the expert said.

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Unlike theft, theft of a vehicle or theft presupposes the existence of intent — to take possession of a car in order to appropriate, sell or disassemble it for spare parts.

— This crime, as a rule, entails a more severe punishment, since it is aimed at the final deprivation of the owner of his property, — Vladimir Kuznetsov added. — A victim of theft or theft of a vehicle has the right to compensation for property and moral damage caused to him — the cost of the car or its repair.

A person has the right to file a civil claim for damages in a criminal case, which is considered the most effective way. If the car was insured under a hard hat, the damage is compensated by the insurance company, which then receives the right to claim against the guilty person.