Police won't say which makes of Subaru are being targeted by Otago car thieves

Police are refusing to say which models of Subaru vehicles are being targeted in a spate of car thefts in Otago.

On Monday, Inspector Sam Ramsay from Otago Coastal Police said there had been a "noticeable" spike in thefts across the wider Dunedin area in recent months, with offenders "targeting Subaru vehicles".

"In many cases there is little or no sign of forced entry, with offenders exploiting known vulnerabilities in some vehicle models," he said.

In response to further questions from RNZ, police said they would not be revealing any information about which models were being targeted, or about the vulnerabilities mentioned.

"We won't be going into specific detail about the methods used, as doing so could inadvertently assist offenders, but investigations indicate offenders are exploiting vulnerabilities in some vehicles," Ramsay said.

"For the same reason, we are not identifying specific makes or models that may be vulnerable. Vehicle owners should ensure their vehicles are locked when unattended and consider additional security measures where appropriate and possible."

Meanwhile, Inchcape New Zealand - which handles distribution, marketing, and retail for Subaru here - said it was unaware of any vulnerabilites in its vehicles.

"Subaru New Zealand has not been contacted by the police in regards to stolen vehicles, or any vulnerabilities," general manager Paul Mallard said.

"Subaru New Zealand is not aware of any known security vulnerabilities on New Zealand-new Subaru vehicles."

Police said they were continuing to investigate the thefts and encouraged anyone who witnessed suspicious behaviour around vehicles to contact them as soon as possible.