Jaguar Land Rover puts £10m towards tackling thefts of older Range Rovers

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has invested ‘more than £10m’ to help tackle a spate of thefts of its previous-generation Range Rovers, the firm has announced.

Previous-generation Land Rovers, including the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, are among some of the most stolen cars in the UK, with crooks finding ways to break into keyless-equipped vehicles thanks to a flaw in their security.

Hundreds of vehicles have been stolen, with owners often resorting to physical deterrents, such as steering locks, to help tackle the problem. Due to the number of vehicles stolen, it’s left owners struggling to insure their cars too.

The firm says that 65,000 eligible vehicles have already been updated, but is urging owners who have not yet had the fix done to contact their local dealer.

Patrick McGillycuddy, managing director at JLR UK, said: “While vehicle theft in the UK is affecting the whole car industry, at JLR we understand the negative impact this can have on the ownership experience for our clients. Our investment of more than £10 million demonstrates our ongoing commitment to tackling this issue.

“Through our long-standing collaboration with law enforcement and key partners, our expert team will continue to develop and deploy effective anti-theft measures to ensure clients are protected. It is my personal priority.”

This £10m investment is said to include updates to the ‘body control module’, which prohibits thieves driving away a vehicle without a key. The previous issue concerned thieves hacking the keyless entry system by using a method known as a ‘relay attack’ to intercept signals from the car key, which was usually kept in the owner’s address, and then being able to start the car this way. The updates are said to mean that vehicles are no longer ‘vulnerable to that method’.

Despite the updates, JLR is still recommending customers ‘use every available measure’ to protect their vehicle’, including JLR’s connected apps, which include a ‘Guardian Mode’ and making sure that keys are not kept anywhere where they can be easily taken.