As autumn sets in, with shops and homes being decorated with ghouls, ghosts, and goblins for Halloween, thieves across the country are carrying out their own version of trick-or-treat as vehicles continue to vanish during the night. In September alone, our GPS Vehicle Tracking Devices played a key role in recovering £2.6m worth of stolen vehicles, maintaining the same impressive total as August.

September’s Facts and Figures

After a brief absence from the top of the list, a familiar brand reclaims its place as the most frequently recovered vehicle in September, Land Rover. A variety of models, including the Vogue, Sport, Evoque, Discovery, and Defender, were stolen and successfully recovered across the UK. Land Rover in September equated for 38% of all recoveries for the month. 

Another emerging trend is the increasing number of Toyota Hilux recoveries, placing it as the 4th most recovered vehicle this year due to a significant rise in thefts during Q3. In September, 12% of all recovered vehicles were Toyota Hilux models.

Other notable recoveries this month include various Audi models, such as the TT, SQ7, A4, Q5, and RS6, as well as Mercedes models, including the EQC, and AMG GTR Pro. A BMW 335D, A Takeuchi digger and the most popular Uber vehicle, a Toyota Prius, were also located and recovered.

September’s Most Interesting Recovery

Our SmarTrack tracking systems not only help recover cars but also safeguard millions of pounds worth of essential plant equipment and machinery crucial to our customers’ work.

In mid-September, our Secure Control Centre received an alert just before 3 am, signalling that a Takeuchi TB216 was being moved without the ignition being engaged, suggesting it was being towed. Our team promptly contacted the owner, who, though initially surprised by the out-of-hours call, confirmed after checking that the equipment had indeed been stolen.

Meanwhile, our experienced Security Liaison Officer, Phil, mobilised the Repatriations Team, confident from the data and his own expertise that this was a theft. As predicted, the theft was confirmed shortly after, and our team swiftly located the Takeuchi in the back of a van, recovering it within just over 30 minutes of the initial alert, a great result for the owner.

September’s Quickest Recovery

At Global Telemetrics, we take pride in being one of the few tracking companies in the UK with an in-house Repatriations Team, enabling us to act quickly and efficiently, working closely with police to expedite the recovery of stolen vehicles.

Thanks to our team and the expertise of our Stolen Vehicle Specialists at the Secure Control Centre, we recover millions of pounds worth of vehicles each month before they are permanently lost. Speed is critical in vehicle recovery, as thieves often try to locate tracking devices, strip the vehicle for parts, or conceal it in a container to ship abroad.

Most vehicles we recover are found within an hour, with a large number being located in under 30 minutes. For example, at the end of September, a Range Rover Sport was stolen from a customer’s home in Liverpool. Just 16 minutes after receiving the alert, our Repatriations Team had found and secured the vehicle in a nearby car park.

Hotspots

As Land Rover returned to the top spot for recoveries, London also reclaimed its position as the area with the highest number of vehicle thefts in September, although it shares this title with the West Midlands. Both regions accounted for 23% of all recoveries. Essex followed in third place, with 12% of the month’s recoveries.

Looking Forward

Additionally, Global Telemetrics is currently in discussions with several companies and familiar industry figures to plan events throughout 2025. Further details will be announced soon on our social media platforms.