Spare parts of the whole: insurers have recorded a surge in car thefts
The largest insurance companies noted a surge in the number of carjackings in the first three months of this year. Korean Hyundai and Kia, as well as Chinese Chery and Haval, are among the most popular brands for theft, Izvestia found out. Trucks were hijacked much more often. Cars are being stolen for disassembly, experts say. Although problems with spare parts began back in 2022, car wear has accumulated over the past time - they need repairs, and new parts are difficult to find. Criminals began to commit contract thefts for the needs of the gray market. Whether the increase in hijackings will continue and how to stop the trend is in the Izvestia article.
Which cars are stolen most often
There is a surge in car thefts in Russia: in the first three months of 2025, their number increased by 70% compared to the same period last year, the VSK Insurance House told Izvestia. Most of these crimes occurred in February.
Trucks became the most hijacked mode of transport — they accounted for 54% of cases, the VSK specified. They added: Chinese Chery and Haval were also on the list of cars in demand from criminals. According to the results of the first quarter of 2025, the Amur Region became the leader in the number of thefts, displacing Dagestan and Moscow.
AlfaStrakhovanie noted a 1.6-fold increase in the number of hijackings reported under the hard hat at the beginning of this year compared to the previous one. The most stolen brands during this period were Hyundai, Kia and Lada, added Alexander Kharagezov, director of the company's insurance payments department. He also noted the trend of crimes shifting towards Chinese brands.
An increase in the number of car thefts in the first three months of 2025 was also recorded in Absolut Insurance. In "Consent" they saw an increase of 10%. A slight increase was also recorded in Zetta Insurance.
This is also due to a shortage of spare parts, says Yulia Fedotova, head of the Absolut Insurance Motor Insurance Loss settlement Department. According to her, criminals often choose those brands that have problems with the delivery of parts to the Russian Federation.
The sharp increase in hijackings in 2025 is caused by a number of factors, says Irina Frank, CEO of Frank Auto. First, fraudsters steal cars of popular brands that have a shortage of spare parts due to sanctions and logistical disruptions, and then disassemble them for parts. Secondly, the increasing share of Chinese cars (Chery, Geely) on the roads has made them a new target. Their components are in demand, but supplies are limited, the expert emphasized.
Since the beginning of 2025, every three out of five theft claims have been for cars from China, experts from the insurance company "Consent" noted. They added: the purpose of disassembling them for spare parts can be traced specifically to the theft of Chinese cars.
Kia cars took the first place in thefts this year, Rosgosstrakh reported. Criminals are especially often targeting Korean Hyundai Solaris, Kia Rio and Sorento Prime, whose parts are difficult to find legally after the manufacturers leave, Irina Frank said. Lada Granta or Vesta are not ignored either: their popularity in the secondary market is combined with weak standard protection, she added.
SK MAKS also called the increase in the number of truck hijackings the main trend this year. The number of thefts has increased in the Republic of Adygea, said Ivan Popov, director of the company's Motor vehicle damage control department.
Why is it more common in the Russian Federation to steal cars for disassembly
— Although the problems with spare parts began back in 2022, the peak of the hijackings occurred at the beginning of 2025. This is due to the accumulation of wear on cars purchased in 2020-2022: they need repairs, and new parts are extremely difficult to find. Dealers have sold off the remnants of original spare parts, and criminal groups have adapted to the "custom—made" thefts to meet the needs of the gray market, Irina Frank said.
According to her, trucks have become a target due to the shortage of spare parts for Chinese brands FAW and Shacman, which are actively used in logistics and agriculture. The growing number of small carriers that rarely insure equipment makes it easier for criminals. At the same time, truck engines and gearboxes are highly valued on the black market.
Currently, the main sales channels for parts from stolen cars are gray service stations and online platforms where documents are not required, the expert added. Components are often transported to regions with the most severe shortages, such as Dagestan or Kabardino-Balkaria. Hijackers also use inter-regional shipments to reduce the risk of detection.
During difficult situations, there is always an increase in fraudulent schemes, confirmed Alexey Tarapovsky, founder of the Anderida Financial Group. According to him, the issue of savings is extremely important for consumers. And in the grey market, the parts will be cheaper than the original new parts.
Previously, premium segment cars were stolen more often and sold abroad, but now this is impossible due to closed borders, said Pavel Yakovlev, senior product manager for auto insurance at the RESO-Garantia Retail insurance department. The criminals, one might say, have reoriented themselves.
There is a high probability that carjackings for disassembly will become even more frequent due to the high cost and shortage of spare parts, said Elena Khakhulina, director of the retail auto insurance department at Zetta Insurance.
Even if, thanks to negotiations between Russia and the United States, some automakers return, they will not be able to set up production at the moment and saturate the market with their "favorite" brands for hijackers. Therefore, if an increase in the number of hijackings can be predicted, it will be closer to the end of 2025, said Alexander Matvienko, head of the department for the settlement of theft claims at Ingosstrakh.
The Web system is currently being developed to counter fraudsters, and the State Traffic Inspectorate uses it, the Sberbank Insurance press service said. They clarified that it makes it possible to track cars in real time when moving in house territories, within regions and between them.
However, in order to stop the increase in the number of hijackings, it is necessary to strengthen video recording in the "hot" regions of the Russian Federation, says Irina Frank from Frank Auto. In her opinion, it is also necessary to subsidize the installation of satellite trackers and launch state programs to legalize the supply of spare parts. Without these measures, the trend will continue.
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