Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to put up £1million to help the police catch car thieves as they look to restore the reputations of their vehicles.
The Range Rover – dubbed Britain’s ‘most stolen car’ – has three of the top five most stolen car models in the UK, analysis revealed.
DVLA data showed that Lexus RX was the most stolen car model in 2023, but the Velar, Sport and standard Range Rover models all made the top five with the brand’s Evoque placing sixth and the Land Rover Discovery in seventh.
The company’s bosses denied reports that the car was vulnerable to theft and said the money they were investing was to support police operations in theft hotspots, as well as to fund intelligence gathering.
But owners have been complaining that insurers have been hiking their premiums dramatically, or even refusing cover, leading to the luxury vehicles suffering a large price drop.
Earlier this year, business owner Mark Perring, 52, revealed that he was being quoted £14,000-a-year for an insurance policy on his four by four after he was told Jaguar Land Rover’s own insurance would not cover him.
The frustrated motorist decided to ditch the car brand for good and bought himself a new Mercedes GLE which he could insure for about a tenth of the price.
Kirsten Lijeskic, another Range Rover owner, said the cheapest quote she could find for her luxury vehicle was for £890 a month, which she could not afford as it was ‘ludicrous’.
As a result, the part-time PA for an investment bank in the city said her and her husband would have to sell the car they had ‘worked hard their whole lives for’, at a loss of thousands of pounds.
Factors such as the driver’s record and experience are taken into account by car insurance companies when offering quotes, as well as where the car is kept and the security features it contains.
Range Rover premiums are often pushed up because the expensive, luxury vehicles are often targeted by car criminals because they can be sold abroad at a profit.
The vehicles were dubbed the most stolen car brand last year, with 924 stolen per 100,000 in the 12 months to March 2023.
In January, CCTV footage showed two masked thieves steal a £70,000 Range Rover in seconds.
The pair pulled up alongside the vehicle in St John’s Wood, north London, on a motorbike and pried open the front window of the black 4×4 with a crow bar, before successfully starting the engine and driving off in under a minute.
The scale of Range Rover thefts has become such an issue in recent years that some owners, particularly those in London, have faced excessive increases in their motor insurance premiums.
Adrian Mardell, JLR’s chief executive, was forced to condemn reports earlier this year that suggested the Range Rover was Britain’s ‘most stolen vehicle’.
He admitted that vehicle theft by organised criminals was a serious issue, but said strenuous efforts had been made by the company to improve vehicle security.
He also took a swipe at the insurance industry for failing to take account of all the available information when setting premiums.
The company’s police funding is the latest move to change the car’s reputation and bring down insurance costs.
In October, JLR launched its own insurance cover for customers, which provided an ‘average monthly premium of less than £200’.
JLR say the new money will help a new national policing unit to gather intelligence on vehicle thefts, and increased police activity at the ports used by criminal gangs to ship cars abroad.
The company also says figures from the Police National Computer Data show a downward trend of thefts of Range Rover vehicles, with a 26 per cent reduction between November 2022 and the same month last year.
1. Keep your key fob well away from your vehicle – and store it in a Faraday wallet
To best protect against keyless car theft, always place the keyfob as far away from the vehicle as you can and store it in a location that is not close to doors or windows in your property.
Even keeping them upstairs or in a room that’s the furthest distance from your driveway will not guarantee that a criminal using relay tactics won’t be able to infiltrate the signal.
For the best level of protection, owners of cars with keyless tech should purchase a Faraday pouch or wallet.
You can buy these online for as little as £5. They isolate the key fob’s signal so it can’t be replicated by thieves.
Metal tins and boxes will also provide similar protective levels, as will keeping your key fob in a fridge freezer, microwave or oven – just remember they are in there before turning on the latter two.
Also, don’t forget about your spare keys and apply the same level of care you would to your main keys or fob.
2. Invest in extra anti-theft protection
A simple steering wheel lock or wheel clamp might look ugly but are a great tool to deter even the hardiest criminals with the most tech.
They will act as a visual deterrent for thieves who will likely avoid them.
For a criminal to remove a steering wheel lock typically requires the use of noisy drills or saws to cut through, and therefore they are the ideal first line of defence for owners with models that have keyless car tech.
Drivers should also consider wheel clamps as well as having alarm systems and trackers (read more about these below) installed.
Owners of vans with keyless technology should also consider fitting deadbolts for additional protection, especially if they store expensive tools and items in their commercial vehicles overnight.
3. Be mindful when locking the doors
It may sound simple but always make sure your vehicle is locked every time you leave it – especially in busy car parks where thieves often use signal blockers.
Many drivers also don’t realise that on some vehicle models if you press your key fob only once your car will only be single locked.
This means that if you smashed the window you could manually open the car by reaching in and pulling the handle from the inside.
To double lock, key fobs can require a second press of the locking button to engage the full security features. It is important to read your car’s manual when you first get it and familiarise how to securely lock your car when you’re not in it.
4. Think carefully about where you park overnight
Most often, keyless car thefts take place on owners’ driveways. While motorists might think having their vehicle in such close proximity to their property guarantees its security, this is certainly not the case when it comes to relay thefts – quite the contrary, in fact, as it means the car is closer to where they keys are inside your home.
That’s why owners with off-street parking should consider additional measures.
Driveway parking posts are a cheap but efficient way of deterring would-be thieves.
Drivers can also go one step further and install lockable gates in their driveway, while simple CCTV systems can provide further peace of mind.
Luxury cars, which are at greater risk of theft, should be parked in a locked garage where possible.
For those without off-street parking who leave their cars on the road outside their home, you are also not safe from these criminals.
Consider parking further away from your property than usual – and try to find a space under a streetlight so that thieves are exposed when trying to steal your car at night.
If you live on a residential street where there are also business, park outside one with a CCTV camera installed.
5. Install a tracking device in your car
Installing a tracker system in your vehicle, such as a Thatcham approved device, offers an extra layer of security.
A tracking device won’t stop your vehicle being stolen, but it significantly increases the chances of the police recovering and returning it to you.
They cost from between £250 and £800 and the most secure use military-grade tech to locate the whereabouts of cars.