Why Thieves In London Are Smashing Car Windows For This Strange Car Part

Car thefts and burglaries are pretty common in most parts of the world. The modus operandi is usually simple. Thieves either target the entire car — as in the case of the infamous Kia challenge — or simply break in and steal expensive car parts like Honda airbags or valuables stored inside the vehicle. There are times when robbers don't even need to break into a vehicle, targeting things that can be stolen from the outside, such as the catalytic converter and even Volkswagen badges. While these objects are common targets of car thieves globally, The Telegraph reports that in the United Kingdom, burglars seem to have found a rather unexpected new item to steal: the detachable rear parcel shelf.

The rear parcel shelf is the small storage area that sits right behind the rear seats, in the gap between the seat and the rear glass. These unassuming objects have become a newfound target for car thieves in the UK, with several locations reporting a sudden surge in thefts involving this item. These parcel tray thieves show up on e-bikes or bicycles — usually in the dead of the night — approach a car, break the rear glass, yank off the parcel shelf, tuck it under their arms, and leave the premises.

These shelves eventually make their way onto online marketplaces where they are sold for hundreds of pounds — usually to the same people whose parcel trays were stolen in the first place. Given that replacement parcel shelves for high-end cars may cost £200 to £300 ($270 to $400), there appears to be an obvious allure to this completely new burglary target.

The reason thieves suddenly began finding parcel shelves attractive is quite simple. On modern-day cars, they are the only "removable" component that can be easily stolen. Older cars used to have several removable parts, ranging from car stereos and satellite navigation screens to dashcams. These items are integrated into the car's body on newer models, making them an unattractive proposition given the effort required to pull them off.

External parts like catalytic converters and exhaust pipes are still accessible, but require more sophisticated and time-consuming theft methods. This leaves the parcel shelves as the last remaining option for car burglars to have a go at. Thankfully, this parcel shelf theft trend appears to be largely confined to the UK for now. These thieves also target specific car models — usually high-end luxury cars from brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar — specifically because original replacement parcel shelves are expensive to replace and, as outlined earlier, cost anywhere between $270 and $400 if sourced via authorized dealers.

Making things even worse is the fact that victims also need to shell out extra money to have their broken rear windshields replaced, since thieves typically target them for easy access to the parcel shelf. As a result, a seemingly simple theft can end up costing the victim as much as $1,000.