Range Rover thefts prompts JLR to boost security on old and new cars

Jaguar Land Rover has launched a new safety system to prevent criminals ‘hacking’ into its cars. The system is designed to counter keyless entry attack to a car’s ‘Body Control Module’ (BCM) to unlock the car and drive away without the key.

With this, Range Rover owners will have extra protection against car thieves and the technology can be retrofitted to older models.

The new technology was developed in conjunction with Thatcham Research and focuses on the ‘Body Control Module’, stopping keyless attacks. Even with the new safety upgrades, JLR maintains owners should use the firm’s ‘Remote’ apps which allow customers to access security features like lock reminders and ‘Guardian Mode’ – which will monitor the vehicle and alert if there’s suspicious activity around it.

It’s not only new Range Rovers that can benefit from the latest security technology. It can also be fitted to previous generation vehicles (including those out of warranty). JLR points out that any Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar customers who have been contacted about available security updates should have them fitted by their local dealership.

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Data analysis and stolen vehicle recovery experts Tracker say six of the top ten cars recovered in 2022 were either a Land Rover or Range Rover. JLR claims only 0.07 per cent of new Range Rovers and just 0.3 per cent of Land Rover Defenders are stolen, however.

New security updates designed to tackle keyless car crime have been rolled out on vehicles built from 2018, cutting Range Rover and Range Rover Sport thefts by over 40 per cent, according to JLR. Since Jaguar Land Rover introduced an update to its ultra wide-band technology in 2018, none of its cars have been stolen via the relay attacks method.

Patrick McGillycuddy, Managing Director, JLR UK, spoke on the new security measures: “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.”