Over 4,000 cars were reported stolen in 2022
A warning's going out over a rise in the theft of second-hand imported cars.
Gardai have put out the alert as some have a lack of security features.
Over 4,000 cars were reported stolen in 2022, that's a jump of 52% on the figures for the previous year and a 17% increase on 2019.
This is driven by the theft of second-hand imported cars from outside the European market, which may be due to the lack of security features in the most commonly stolen ones.
For example many second-hand car imports don't have a fully fitted car alarm system or are without a fitted immobiliser. This makes them vulnerable to hot-wiring.
If the model has a keyless ignition it has proven possible to pick up a signal from the key fob from within the house where it's parked.
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