Car thefts: partial thefts increase, Lombardy the most affected

Partial thefts of car components represent one of the main threats for vehicle owners in Italy today: in 2024 almost 14 thousand interventions to repair damage caused by this type of theft or attempted theft, on the rise 3.5% compared to the previous year. This phenomenon, known as car “cannibalization”, mainly affects older vehicles between four and six yearsbut also those of more recent registration, up to three years (28% of the total). These are the main data and trends that emerge from the report on partial thefts and recoveries of stolen vehicles in the first half of 2025, prepared by the company LoJack Italy. The analysis collects and analyzes data from national and international processing and studies on the phenomenon, integrating them with statistics from over a million devices installed on board vehicles circulating on Italian roads. These thefts cause enormous economic damage to the owners of the vehicles and fuel the international black market of spare parts, which are sold in Africa and in United Arab Emirates. In the first six months of 2025, the support activity conducted by LoJack together with the police led to the recovery of 1,032 vehiclesfor a total value of approximately 33 million and 400 thousand euros. The findings concerned the 54% of the cases the SUVs, in particular the Toyota Rav4 and in 32% cars, this classification dominated by Fiat Panda.

cars and regions most affected

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Although there is no precise data on the brands most affected, the models victimized by these thefts are predominantly the most popular ones on the market, which generate greater requests for spare parts, but also those which allow for greater economic profit. Among the most vandalized there are, in fact, some models such as Fiat Panda, 500, 500X, Point, Lancia YpsilonAnd Jeep Renegadebut also the models of the brands Audi, Smart, Alfa Romeo, Ford, Peugeot, Renault, Citroën, Toyota, Lexus (targeted for batteries), Range Rover And Volkswagen. As with complete car thefts, the phenomenon takes on particular characteristics depending on the region of Italy in which it occurs: South the most affected are the Fiat Panda and the 500while al North brand models prevail Toyota, Lexus, Range Rover And Volkswagen. The geography of partial thefts appears slightly different from that of vehicle thefts: the Lombardy is today the Italian region most affected by this type of theft, with almost half of the cases (40%), of the entire peninsula; they follow Lazio (27% of total cases) e Campania (18%). The phenomenon is particularly concentrated within large cities, with Rome And Milan which record about the 28% of total damage. There Pugliaand in particular the area between Manfredonia And Cerignola, renamed “the Bermuda Triangle of car thefts”, it represents the place where cars run the greatest risk of having their components stolen, through actual dismantling centers scattered across the countryside and often compliant workshops and fleets that resell the stolen parts. Even in Campania there is a significant increase in these episodes.

the most requested pieces

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From the statistics it emerges that this illegal business focuses in particular on some specific elements of the vehicle, the value of which can vary significantly depending on the vehicle from which they are stolen: on-board cameras, bumpers which have a value that varies from 45 to 800 eurosmonitor with an estimated value between 180 to the 920 euroslights whose price ranges from 500 to 2,500 eurosthe alloy wheels with a value between 450 to the 1,500 euros and finally catalysts, particularly sought after due to the presence of precious metals such as platinum And palladiumhighly sought after on the black market in Europe and beyond. Other particularly sought-after components are advanced optical groups such as LED and laser headlights and automatic orientation systems which can be worth more than 5,000 eurosas well as engines, doors, dashboards, control units, tires and body parts. As with vehicle thefts, behind this particular business often lie the interests of criminal organizations that move in an organized way and manage the black market of spare parts, acting in a traditional way or making use of the most advanced technologies: on average, to complete a partial theft an expert thief employs 50 to 90 seconds. The attacks are studied on the basis of the requests received from the market, often acting along the least busy and darkest roads and at night. In some cases, the spare parts market is fueled by entire cars, dragged with cables or pushed by other vehicles or stolen by cloning the key, or even stolen in less than two minutes via connection to the CAN bus network (especially for vehicles such as Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Giulia, Jeep Renegade and Compass). Once taken to warehouses for dismantling, the cars are cannibalized within 3-4 hours by specialists and the parts resold on illegal markets. Maurizio Iperti, president Automotive Of LoJack Internationalcommented on these data: “In addition to the 136 thousand vehicles that are stolen in our country every year, there is a phenomenon that affects a growing number of Italian motorists on a daily basis, the so-called partial theft, i.e. the removal of components from parked cars. A business which, managed by criminal organisations, has now assumed significant dimensions and which steadily feeds the black market of spare parts. Thieves today are increasingly technological and often use cutting-edge equipment which allows them to steal car components or make the entire car disappear and then quickly proceed with the dismantling and marketing of the pieces obtained, causing damages of up to several thousand euros for the unfortunate owners. This is why it is now even more important to protect ourselves from theft with adequate technological tools that prevent it and, in the worst case scenario, facilitate its recovery”.