Are Chinese cars hijacked in South Africa? Haval, Chery and the brands on the lists

Which Chinese cars do hijackers target?

The Haval Jolion and H6 and Chery’s Tiggo 4, 7 and 8 are the Chinese models named most often. Cars.co.za put them at risk in January 2025, saying “the staggering success of new Chinese car brands in South Africa has led to a growing demand for parts”, though it gave no data source for the models.⁵ A month later BusinessTech called the Jolion and the Tiggo 4 Pro “likely targets”, but it worked that out from new-car sales and said itself that “Fidelity did not specify particular models”.⁶

East Coast Radio puts the Jolion on its list of the most hijacked vehicles and says “Chinese car brands, such as Chery and Haval, are also becoming increasingly popular among hijackers”, without saying where its list comes from.⁷ In October 2024 TopAuto wrote that “the most targeted models include the Chery SUVs and the GWM P-Series bakkie”.⁸ None of these sources counts how many were taken.

How long have Chinese cars been hijacking targets?

The first warning we found is from 2021, when SAPS warned of a rise in hijackings “specifically Haval models”, with the engines “removed and fitted into Toyota Quantum minibuses”, as BusinessTech recalled in July 2024. In the same 2024 article, Fidelity said it “had noted an increase in the number of these types of vehicles being hijacked”.¹

By February 2025 BusinessTech reported that Chery and GWM, “whose sales have skyrocketed by 1,749% over the last decade”, were “now being flagged by security groups as increasingly vulnerable”, without naming the groups.⁶ In February 2026 Auto Trader put “Haval and Chery” under “New Emerging Risks in 2026”.²

Why hijackers want Chinese cars

For their parts, according to every source that gives a reason. Auto Trader says “The high volume of Chinese cars being sold is driving up demand for replacement parts on the black market.”² BusinessTech’s 2025 report adds that “Popular models are targeted due to the high demand for their parts or resale value”, and that the cars are stripped or re-registered; the more Chinese cars there are on the road, the bigger that parts market becomes.⁶

The 2021 Haval warning showed the same thing in a single case: the engines went into minibuses.¹

Omoda, Jaecoo, Jetour, BYD and MG

We found no 2025 or 2026 source that names an Omoda, Jaecoo, Jetour, BYD or MG as a hijacking target, and none of the 2026 lists we checked includes one.^2,3,4,9 The 2024 BusinessTech report mentioned Omoda and Jaecoo only among the Chinese brands in rising demand, not as targets.¹

That isn’t proof they are safe: the reason the lists give for Haval and Chery, demand for parts, grows with sales. Our guide to cars least likely to be stolen explains why being left off a list means little on its own.

Chinese cars against the most hijacked brands

On the 2026 lists, the established names still come first. King Price’s 2026 top 10 runs from the Toyota Hilux to the BMW 3 Series, Auto Trader’s 2026 brand report names Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Nissan and Suzuki models, and Fidelity ADT’s February 2026 list has no Chinese car on it.^3,4,9 None of these lists counts anything, and SAPS records carjackings only by type of vehicle, not by make, so nobody can say how often a Chinese car is taken compared with a Toyota.¹⁰

Most Chinese models are keyless

That matters for theft as well as hijacking. Every Haval Jolion and H6 sold here has keyless entry and push-button start, and so does every Chery Tiggo 4 Cross; the Tiggo 7 has keyless start on all five trims.^11,12,13,14 The Omoda C5, the MG HS and the BYD Atto 3 list keyless entry and start too.^15,16,17

In August 2026 the Insurance Crime Bureau warned that criminals are using relay attack equipment on cars with keyless entry and start, and suggested switching the keyless or proximity function off when you don’t need it.¹⁸ Our guide to relay attacks and keyless car theft covers what blocks it.

What to fit to a Chinese car

A tracker with a recovery service, because none of these brands describes a way to find a stolen car: see the Haval and GWM, Chery, BYD and MG pages for each model. Check your insurer’s requirement first: King Price, for example, confirms any anti-theft device “at the inception of your cover” and notes it on your policy schedule.¹⁹

Our deals start from R99pm for a wireless recovery unit, or R149pm for a full insurance-approved tracker. Free installation, 36-month contract.

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