Mercedes-Benz Sprinter tops list of UK’s most stolen vans

Craig Cheetham, contributor
Mon, 26 Feb 2024

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 CDI has been named as the UK’s most stolen van, with Ford vans the most likely to be stolen by brand according to a Freedom of Information request submitted by van experts Vanarama.

Using an FOI to the DVLA, the company revealed the most stolen vans of 2023 and the month that thieves targeted these vehicles the most.

A total of 12,950 vans were stolen across the UK in 2023, an 18% increase from 2022’s total. 1,262 were taken in March, which was the most prevalent month for van theft.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 313 CDI was the van targeted the most in these crimes, with 938 of them stolen between January and December last year. This was 42% higher than the van ranked in second place which is another Mercedes model, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 314 CDI, which was targeted 660 times. 

Rounding off the top three most stolen was the Ford Transit 350, with 601 reported as stolen last year according to the DVLA. 

Over 50% of the vans stolen in the UK were Ford models, but as the market leader there are more Ford vans on the road than any other brand.

Mercedes and Vauxhall had the next highest number of van thefts across the year, again both highly popular manufacturers in the van market. It seems thieves are targeting whatever van they can find, and ones with potential goods inside, as it was also revealed that nearly a quarter of tradespeople had tools stolen last year. 

Top 15 most stolen vans in the UK - March 2023