Victoria’s Car Theft Problem Remains a Serious Concern in 2026
Car theft remains a major vehicle-security issue in Victoria, and the latest statistics show why motorists should consider taking extra steps to protect their vehicles.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its latest Recorded Crime – Victims figures on 3 September 2026. The data shows that 24,929 victims of motor vehicle theft were recorded in Victoria during 2025, an increase of 11 per cent, or 2,425 victims, compared with 22,504 victims in 2024. The ABS reports that this was Victoria’s highest number of motor vehicle theft victims since 2002.
The longer-term trend is particularly concerning. Victoria recorded 15,957 motor vehicle theft victims in 2023 before the number jumped to 22,504 in 2024 and then increased again to 24,929 in 2025. This means the number of recorded victims increased by more than 56 per cent in just two years.
And the problem has continued into 2026. The latest Crime Statistics Victoria figures for the 12 months ending March 2026 recorded 31,579 motor vehicle theft offences in Victoria, a further 1.3 per cent increase from the previous year.
These figures demonstrate that vehicle theft is not simply an issue affecting a handful of older cars. Modern vehicles, family cars, SUVs, 4WDs, commercial vehicles and popular models can all be targeted.
Where Are Vehicles Being Stolen?
The latest ABS figures provide another important insight for Victorian vehicle owners. During 2025, 38 per cent of motor vehicle theft victims in Victoria had their vehicle stolen from an outbuilding or residential land, while a further 32 per cent were stolen from a street or footpath.
In other words, parking your vehicle at home does not necessarily protect it from car thieves.
The latest Victorian data also highlights that some vehicles are particularly attractive targets. RACV’s analysis of Crime Statistics Victoria data found that the Holden Commodore was Victoria’s most stolen vehicle in the year ending September 2025, with 1,587 thefts recorded. Toyota HiLux and Toyota Corolla models followed, with 1,021 and 998 thefts respectively. This is why vehicle owners should look beyond make and model and consider the effectiveness of their overall car security system.
Why a Secondary Immobiliser Matters?
Factory-installed security systems play an important role, but modern vehicle theft methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Electronic key cloning, key mimicking and other techniques can potentially allow criminals to bypass or defeat parts of a vehicle’s original security system.
A secondary engine immobiliser provides another layer of protection. A CODE SAFE keypad engine immobiliser requires the driver to enter a personal PIN before the vehicle can be started. This creates an additional security barrier that is separate from simply possessing the vehicle’s original key or key fob.
For Victorian motorists concerned about car theft prevention and vehicle security, CODE SAFE car immobilisers, keypad immobilisers and secondary immobilisers can add an independently operated immobilisation system as part of a layered approach to protecting a vehicle.
The message is simple: your vehicle already has security adding another layer can make it harder for a thief to drive away. With motor vehicle theft continuing to affect thousands of Victorians and theft levels remaining elevated in 2026, now is the time to be proactive rather than waiting until your vehicle becomes another theft statistic.
Safer Communities Start With Better Vehicle Security
Protecting a vehicle is about more than protecting a car.
For many families, a vehicle is essential for getting to work, taking children to school, attending appointments, running a business, transporting equipment, and simply getting through everyday life. When a vehicle is stolen, the consequences can extend far beyond losing the vehicle itself.
These can include insurance claims, replacement transport costs, missed work, inconvenience, stress, and the loss of personal belongings that may have been inside the vehicle. That is why vehicle security is also a community issue.
Imagine a neighbourhood where more vehicles have multiple layers of protection. Thieves looking for an easy opportunity may encounter more vehicles that require additional authentication before they can be driven away.
A secondary immobiliser does not guarantee that a vehicle will never be targeted or stolen, but it can add another obstacle for an unauthorised driver. When more vehicle owners take proactive security measures, it encourages a broader culture of car theft prevention rather than waiting for something to happen.
More Protected Cars Can Mean Fewer Easy Opportunities
Car thieves, like any criminals, look for opportunities. Vehicle owners cannot control every factor that contributes to crime, but they can control many aspects of their own vehicle security.
Locking the doors, securing keys, parking in appropriate locations, using available security technology and installing a quality secondary car immobiliser are all practical steps that can make a vehicle a less attractive target.
This is where the concept of community vehicle security becomes important.
If one vehicle has strong security while every other vehicle around it is relatively easy to access, that one vehicle may still attract attention. But when security-conscious motorists throughout a suburb, workplace, shopping precinct, or local community add additional layers of protection, the overall environment becomes less accommodating to opportunistic vehicle theft.
The objective is not to suggest that an immobiliser alone will eliminate car theft. Rather, it is about creating layers of security and reducing opportunities for criminals wherever possible.
Protect Your Car and Help Protect Your Community
Every vehicle owner has a role to play in creating safer communities.
It starts with simple habits:
- Lock your vehicle every time you leave it.
- Keep vehicle keys and spare keys secure.
- Avoid leaving valuables visible inside the vehicle.
- Be aware of where you park your vehicle.
- Consider additional vehicle security technology.
- Speak to a professional installer about a secondary immobiliser.
- Encourage family members and friends to take vehicle security seriously.
- If you own multiple vehicles, consider protecting each one rather than leaving the least-protected vehicle as the easiest target.
The principle is simple: the more vehicles properly protected, the fewer easy opportunities there are for vehicle thieves.
This is particularly important for businesses. A stolen work vehicle can affect not only the business owner but employees, customers and the wider operation. Protecting fleets, commercial vehicles, vans, 4WDs and company cars with additional security can therefore form part of a responsible business security strategy.
CODE SAFE: Adding Another Layer of Protection
This is where CODE SAFE IMMOBILISERS can play an important role.
The CODE SAFE Keypad Engine Immobiliser adds an extra layer of security by requiring a personal code before the vehicle can be started.
Instead of relying entirely on the factory key or keyless entry system, the vehicle owner has another security step under their control.
The keypad system is designed to be discreet, convenient and straightforward to use. Once the driver becomes familiar with entering their personal PIN, it becomes part of the normal process of operating the vehicle.
CODE SAFE secondary immobilisers can be professionally installed across a broad range of makes and models, making the system suitable for many different vehicle owners.
Whether you drive a family car, SUV, 4WD, work vehicle, commercial vehicle, or another compatible vehicle, a CODE SAFE registered installer can assess the vehicle and advise on the appropriate installation.
Why More CODE SAFE Installations Can Make a Difference?
It should be to encourage more Australians to take vehicle theft seriously.
When a vehicle owner installs a CODE SAFE secondary immobiliser, they take a proactive step to protect their vehicle. When thousands of vehicle owners make similar decisions, it helps build greater awareness of vehicle security across the community.
Neighbours talk to neighbours.
Families recommend security solutions to one another.
Businesses review their fleet security.
Vehicle owners who have experienced theft share their experiences with others.
This creates an important cycle of awareness: better awareness leads to better security decisions, and better security decisions can help reduce the number of easy opportunities available to criminals.
No single product can guarantee a vehicle will never be stolen. However, a layered approach to car security can make sense in an environment where thieves are continually looking for new ways to target vehicles.
That is why secondary immobilisation deserves consideration alongside the vehicle’s existing factory security.
Don’t Wait Until Your Car Is Stolen
One of the biggest mistakes vehicle owners can make is assuming that theft will happen to someone else.
The latest Victorian statistics demonstrate that thousands of people are affected by motor vehicle theft. A vehicle can be stolen from a driveway, residential property, the street, or another location.
Once the vehicle is gone, prevention is no longer an option.
That is why now is the time to think about vehicle security.
A secondary immobiliser is an investment in prevention, not a response to loss.
For vehicle owners considering a car immobiliser in Melbourne, vehicle security in Victoria, a keypad immobiliser, engine immobiliser, secondary immobiliser or additional car theft protection, CODE SAFE provides a dedicated security solution installed through its registered installer network.
Building Safer Communities One Protected Vehicle at a Time
Car theft affects more than individual vehicle owners. It affects families, businesses, workplaces and communities.
Every stolen vehicle represents someone losing their transport, investment, and peace of mind.
While no security product can promise complete protection, vehicle owners can take practical steps to strengthen security.
Installing a CODE SAFE Keypad Engine Immobiliser adds another layer between a thief and the ability to drive the vehicle away. And as more Australians choose to strengthen their vehicles’ security, awareness of car theft prevention grows throughout the community.
More protected vehicles mean more security-conscious vehicle owners. More security-conscious owners mean fewer easy opportunities. And every additional layer of protection can contribute to a safer approach to vehicle security.
Don’t wait until your vehicle becomes another statistic.
Protect your vehicle. Protect your investment. Protect your peace of mind.
Talk to a CODE SAFE registered installer about a professionally installed secondary immobiliser for your vehicle.
https://www.codesafesolutions.
CODE SAFE IMMOBILISERS — helping vehicle owners take control of their security, one protected vehicle at a time.
