Owners of popular UK car to have extra security installed in their vehicles after spate of thefts – are you at risk?
OWNERS of a popular UK car will have extra security installed in their vehicles after a spate of thefts.
Motorists driving Jaguar Land Rover cars could be at more risk of being broken into by thieves.
Land Rover bosses are rushing to fix thousands of luxury vehicles made between 2018 and 2022.
The 4X4 will be enhanced with security fixes after and insurance premiums skyrocketed.
Range Rovers were among the most-stolen cars in the UK last year - with a staggering rate of 924 thefts per 100,000, according to Confused.com.
Chief executive Adrian Mardell said: “The theft record was much worse in 2022 than it is today.
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“Engineers have been working on a significant number of interventions to counteract, avoid and get ahead of the ways that vehicles can actually be taken.”
Although the popular vehicles feature sophisticated security systems, crooks are using technology to stay ahead of the curve.
Car hackers use keyless hardware sold online for around £1,300 to override a car's security system in a matter of seconds.
Manufacturers said the security has already been tightened for Range Rovers made since January last year - which dropped thefts to “incredibly low” numbers.
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But models from previous years could still be vulnerable to crooks.
Bosses said they are also working with insurers to fix the issue after premiums for owners soared to thousands of pounds.
Mr Mardell explained: “We’re very confident that our vehicles being purchased today are in a much more protected state than they would have been two to three years ago.
"Security issues will continue to get the focus that they’ve had over the last 12 to 18 months going forward until we see this trend actually being eradicated from society."
The car maker has been improving their software in order to stop thieves - with the introduction of a new remote updates system.
A spokesman said: “JLR vehicles from 2022 onwards – Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Defender, Jaguar F-Pace – are equipped with the latest security features and are proving very resilient to theft.
“We are continuing to roll out a programme to enhance the security of models from 2018 onwards and already tens of thousands of eligible vehicles have received software updates via their retailer, to provide the latest vehicle security.
“We will be contacting more clients directly about this issue in the near future.”
It comes as a motors expert has revealed that the high-end car is more likely to get stolen than any other - making owning one very expensive and risky.
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Meanwhile, a woman was left devastated after her £35,000 Land Rover was stolen from a car dealership while waiting for its MOT.
Tracey Holmes, 47, bought the pricey motor four years ago, and had always taken it to Stratstone Land Rover car dealership when it was time for a routine check.
