Skip advert
Advertisement

Land Rover’s theft problems subside as stolen car numbers hit three-year low

A package of measures implemented by Jaguar Land Rover to address the issue of its cars being stolen seems to be doing the trick

Land Rover Defender - front tracking

JLR’s concerted response to its models being targeted by car crime gangs has seen thefts drop to their lowest level in more than three years, according to the firm's Chief Executive Adrian Mardell. 

“August 2024 saw the lowest amount of thefts since May 2021,” he said. ”But we will keep working intensively to counter the organised international crime gangs behind this.”

The brand has been working to improve security on its existing models, and has pushed out software updates on models up to 10 years old to address perceived security weaknesses. In June it also pledged £1m in funding to help UK police battle car thefts, as well as having set up its own insurance product earlier this year to counter issues customers were having when insuring its more expensive vehicles

Advertisement - Article continues below

“If we look at the historic theft rates of car crime, our car crime in the UK is very high reward and low risk,” JLR UK boss Patrick McGillycuddy told Auto Express earlier this year. “Less than half a percent of car crimes result in a charge. So we have organised crime gangs targeting the UK to steal vehicles and export them out of the country. 

“For us, due to the desirability of our product and the volume of our product that exists in the UK market, it means that we have historically seen high levels of theft around our product, our older generation product,” he continued. “And it's a really important point that our latest generation products, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Defender, have incredibly low incidents of theft.”
According to JLR, a 2018 update to its ultra-wide band technology has put a stop to thefts that used the keyless entry technology to gain access to cars.

Click here for our list of the best SUVs...

Skip advert
Advertisement

As Editor, Paul’s job is to steer the talented group of people that work across Auto Express, Carbuyer and Driving Electric, and steer the titles to even bigger and better things by bringing the latest important stories to our readers. Paul has been writing about cars and the car industry since 2000, working for consumer and business magazines as well as freelancing for national newspapers, industry titles and a host of major publications.

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

New Jaguar Type 00 stirs up more hype by shutting down the streets of Paris
Jaguar Type 00 blue - front 3/4

New Jaguar Type 00 stirs up more hype by shutting down the streets of Paris

The Type 00 concept was unveiled in December 2024, previewing a bold new direction for Jaguar
News
11 Mar 2025
Jaguar boss: we didn’t mean to alienate our owners
Jaguar advert

Jaguar boss: we didn’t mean to alienate our owners

Here’s the inside story of how an auto company broke the internet – and the car that’s coming next
News
5 Mar 2025
Controversial new Jaguar GT caught prowling in the snow
Jaguar Type 00 (camouflaged) - front 3/4 tracking

Controversial new Jaguar GT caught prowling in the snow

The latest spy shots provide more insight into what we can expect from this eagerly awaited EV
News
7 Feb 2025
It would be great to see Jaguar prove the doubters wrong in 2025
Jaguar Type 00

It would be great to see Jaguar prove the doubters wrong in 2025

Can Jaguar make its mark as a luxury, electric car brand in 2025? Editor, Paul Barker hopes so...
Opinion
27 Dec 2024

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: BYD Seal – signed, sealed and delivered for less than £305 a month
BYD Seal - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: BYD Seal – signed, sealed and delivered for less than £305 a month

The BYD Seal is a Tesla Model 3 rival, and a very good one at that. It’s our Deal of the Day for 31 March
News
31 Mar 2025
Best April Fools' Day jokes by car companies 2025
Best April Fools' day jokes 2025

Best April Fools' Day jokes by car companies 2025

We round up this year’s best car-related April Fools’ jokes, along with a few of the more famous japes from years gone by
Features
1 Apr 2025
SEAT Ibiza, Arona, Leon and Ateca get sporty upgrades thanks to new Black Editions
SEAT Black Editions

SEAT Ibiza, Arona, Leon and Ateca get sporty upgrades thanks to new Black Editions

This could be the final change ahead of updates to Ibiza and Arona later this year
News
1 Apr 2025