Unsurpringly, thanks to the vast numbers of Ford Transits made every year, it is the top of the most stolen list, compiled by HPI. It stands to reason that the most common van is the one most commonly stolen. Close behind the Transit comes the Land Rover, followed by the Mercedes Sprinter and Volkswagen Transporter. This is more than likely due to the fact that these are the more desiable of the vans on the UK’s roads today.
Also unsurpring is that the HPI data also shows that the Ford Transit is the most likely van to have been in an accident or be on outstanding finance.
HPI reminds dealers to conduct an HPI Check to ensure they don’t get taken in by a vehicle that turns out to be stolen, clocked, cloned, written-off or on outstanding finance. A dealer’s reputation is vital to the success of their business, so by securing the quality of their stock, dealers can sell with confidence, advises HPI.
“Our latest statistics reveal the risks used van dealers face and highlight the importance of an HPI Check, which can spell the difference between buying quality stock or throwing your money away,” explains Daniel Burgess, Managing Director of HPI. “Thieves will be looking to sell LCVs on to unwitting buyers, and dealers need to be on their guard just as much as the general public.”
Outstanding finance continues to be a major risk for van dealers with around 1 in 7 LCVs checked with HPI still on a finance agreement. 1 in 8 are likely to have had a plate change and 1 in 16 vans are likely to have been involved in an accident and have been written-off by an insurance company.
Some insurance write-offs can be legitimately repaired and returned to the road, but many are so badly damaged they should be scrapped immediately. Sadly it is not uncommon for the unscrupulous vendor looking to make a quick profit to sell one of these on to an unsuspecting dealers, making an HPI Check an essential part of a dealer’s arsenal against fraudsters. The Ford Transit tops the league of vans most likely to have been declared a total loss by an insurer.
“Our van hit rates tables show that the Ford Transit is the most likely to have a history that’s worth investigating further, but the Volkswagen Transporter and Mercedes Sprinter are also ones to research thoroughly,” concludes Daniel Burgess. “Dealers still need to take simple precautions to protect themselves and their customers from used van fraud. The HPI Check will tell dealers whether their potential purchase has been stolen, written-off, had a plate change, might be clocked or is on outstanding finance, offering valuable peace of mind in the quality of their stock and providing a powerful selling tool to win over used van buyers.”
HPI STOLEN LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLE – HIT RATES
| Ford | Transit | 17.6% |
| Land Rover | Land rover | 17.6% |
| Mercedes | Sprinter | 11.8% |
| Volkswagen | Transporter | 11.8% |
| Fiat | Ducato | 5.9% |
| Ford | Ranger | 5.9% |
| Nissan | D22 | 5.9% |
| Nissan | Navara | 5.9% |
| Peugeot | Expert | 5.9% |
| Renault | Trafic | 5.9% |
| Vauxhall | Vivaro | 5.9% |
Tags: Ford transit, Stolen Vans