Car Theft Shock: 5,871 Vehicles Stolen on Teesside Since 2020..
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Fewer Than One in Three Stolen Cars Recovered on Teesside Last Year, Police Figures Show..
3rd May 2026
New figures released under Freedom of Information laws show that hundreds of vehicles are being stolen across Teesside every year — many of them never recovered.
The data, supplied by Cleveland Police, shows that between 2020 and 2025, a total of 5,871 cars were officially recorded as stolen under burglary, robbery, theft and handling stolen goods categories.
Of those, just 1,866 of those vehicles were recorded as recovered, meaning only around 31.8% of stolen cars were ever found and returned to their rightful owners, based on the figures provided.
In 2025, its claimed Cleveland Police recorded 989 stolen cars, but only 262 were recovered. That means just 26.5% of stolen vehicles were recorded as recovered last year — slightly more than one in four, with the figures suggesting the recovery rate has fluctuated year-on-year, but has remained below 40% throughout the six-year period. The highest number of stolen cars was recorded in 2023, when 1,393 vehicles were stolen. Of those, 415 were recovered, giving a recovery rate of 29.8%.
The best recovery rate in the figures came in 2021, when 271 of 727 stolen cars were recovered — around 37.3%.
Stolen and Recovered Vehicles on Teesside
Year | Cars Stolen | Cars Recovered | Recovery Rate |
2020 | 677 | 244 | 36.0% |
2021 | 727 | 271 | 37.3% |
2022 | 1,038 | 331 | 31.9% |
2023 | 1,393 | 415 | 29.8% |
2024 | 1,047 | 343 | 32.8% |
2025 | 989 | 262 | 26.5% |
The figures are likely to raise concerns among motorists, particularly as car theft remains one of the most disruptive crimes for households, workers and families who rely on their vehicles for daily life. While the number of stolen cars fell from the 2023 peak, the 2025 recovery rate was said to have been the lowest across the six-year period provided.
It means that in 2025, for every four vehicles stolen on Teesside, only around one was recorded as recovered.
Cleveland Police said the figures were based on a count of vehicle references where the vehicle role contained “stolen”, and where the offence category related to burglary, robbery, theft or handling stolen goods.
The recovery rates are said to have had a significant knock on effect on motorists insurance premiums, which on Teesside have risen sharply in the last four years.
