Most stolen van make in Britain revealed

If you're going to nick a van it might as well be a a good one, right?

Well, clearly theives think in the same way because the most stolen van in the country is a Ford Transit.

The latest data from a Freedom of Information request shows that Ford vans are highly sought after by the criminal fraternity with eight out of the top 10 most stolen van models being Fords.

And it's the Ford Transit 350 model which turned out to be the most stolen model in the UK.

Given it's popularity - the Ford Transit is the second most popular model, and has been for several years - that's no surprise. The Transit 350 is also the most popular variant of the Transit van, as it refers to the 3.5-tonne versin of the van - for more on the Ford Transit van weights read our guide.

The biggest surprise, perhaps is that the UK's most popular van, the Ford Transit Custom, doesn't make an apperance until number four on the list.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter swoops in at number two and three with its two most popular versions clearly being on a thief's hit list.

In fact, the big Mercedes van is only just behind the Transit with 624 thefts, compared to the Transit's 635.

Make and model aside, it's no surprise that the three most targeted vans are all large vans.

Large vans tend to have more expensive tools and equipment, in them. They're also used more regularly by the courier industry, which means that plenty of these vans go missing with people's packages on board, giving the thief a double pay day.

There are also several generations of these models on sale, meaning a Ford Transit 350 logged in a crime report could quite easily be a model from 2025 or from 2005, when security systems weren't perhaps all they were cracked up to be.

Stolen vans will also have an impact on insurance premiums, so if you're looking to get some van insurance shortly, be sure to read our guide on everything you need to know about van insurance.

Here's the list of the Top 10 most stolen vans in the UK:

Unsurprisingly, white van were the most stolen with 8,538 white vans nicked in the last twelve months out of 11,578 thefts. That's a staggering 74% of all vans stolen being the colour white.

Silver vans were the next most stolen with 1,187 thefts, while 601 grey vans were pinched.

Top stolen van data was requested by builders merchant Travis Perkins, who pointed out that its not only the van itself but the goods inside that can amount to thousands of pounds, and can easily be sold on by thieves, leaving little-to-no trace.

Between 2016 and 2022, more than 43,000 vans were reported as stolen, an average of 30 thefts per day. That's on top of more than 117,000 break-ins during the same period.

How should you best protect your van against theft? Good old Travis gives this advice:

Upgrade Locks

Already installed factory locks on vans are often insufficient. Installing deadlocks or slam locks will aid the protection of your vehicle.

Add Visual Deterrents

Steering wheel locks and stickers indicating alarms or trackers may not seem a big deal but can do a great job of discouraging thieves.

Install Alarms and Trackers

A quality alarm alerts you to break-ins, while GPS trackers are advisable. Having both will be more likely to deter criminals in the first place, but if the worst still happens, the GPS heightens the likelihood of the vehicle being tracked down by the authorities.

Park Strategically

Park in a well-lit, secure area, which ideally has CCTV coverage in the vicinity. It’s also worth trying to park the vehicle up against a wall to block door access.

Remove Tools Overnight

If possible, take expensive tools out of the van when not in use – but most importantly, overnight. Investing in extensive van security measures can significantly reduce the risk of theft.