Land Rover owners are now chaining their cars to trees in a desperate attempt to stop them being stolen. It comes as thieves have started using the car’s keyless entry to nick the high end vehicles in seconds.
Now a post on social media shows a pricey Land Rover parked up on a quiet street with a thick meal chain hooking it to a tree.
Land Rover owners have been left fuming as insurance premiums soar – with some owners of the vehicles struggling to even get cover for their cars.
Earlier this year Land Rovers were revealed as Britain’s ‘most stolen car’ – 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 in sixth place and the Land Rover Discovery in seventh.
But it’s a title that bosses at the firm have strenuously denied. To tackle the PR mess Jaguar Land Rover announced plans to put up £1million to help the police catch car thieves.
The money will go towards helping police operations in theft hotspots and fund a new national policing unit focused on intelligence gathering, according to the BBC.
Patrick McGillycuddy, managing director JLR (UK), said: “We are constantly developing our systems and security features and through our close collaboration with police, we stay ahead of any emerging methods and quickly deploy anti-theft measures.
“This additional investment, coupled with our other ongoing and proactive action, shows our commitment to supporting the authorities in having a tangible impact on combating this issue in the UK.”
Tech industry worker, Meryl Cabellos, 41, saw the cost of insuring his 2017 Range Rover Sport double from £2,000 to £4,000 last year, he told the BBC.
Mr Cabellos was unable to find an insurer to renew his cover this year and struggled to find a replacement. He decided to sell his car after receiving a “best” quote of an eye watering £10,000 alongside the vehicle’s value plummeting.
He said: “We’re just really disappointed. We loved the car, but because of the insurance the experience of owning it went downhill so quick.”
Metropolitan Police declined to comment.