Jaguar Land Rover has created a free security upgrade after a spate of keyless car thefts to “combat key cloning”.
This comes as a prosecutor stated a total of 446 Jaguar Land Rover vehicles had been stolen in West Yorkshire in the space of a year, between November 2022 and November 2023.
Tate, the company which owns Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), is spending £10 million to retrofit older models. The anti-theft software in its latest models, built from 2022 onwards, is far more secure, reports This is Money.
Read more: Met Office issues new UK weather warning as Yorkshire braces itself for more snow and ice
But only cars manufactured from 2018 are being given the security update. The software fix is being carried out by its dealer network and the update will be free of charge.
Publication This is Money, shared a letter from JLR to model owners. The letter said: ‘Your vehicle is eligible for a security enhancement programme that is being provided free of charge to owners of certain models in our range.’
It went on: ‘In conjunction with the police and insurance companies, we are aware of the recent increase in vehicle theft in some parts of the UK.
‘We’re committed to protecting our clients from crime and have a team working closely with the police and other partners on this issue.
‘This proactive approach has enabled us to support criminal investigations, spot emergency trends and quickly develop and deploy effective anti-theft measures.
‘All our vehicles are already fitted with industry-leading security systems that have been rated ‘ Superior’ by Thatcham Research. But to further increase protection and combat key cloning, we have developed a new software enhancement.’
West Yorkshire Police said keyless theft, also known as relay theft, happens when a device is used to fool the car into thinking the car’s own remote key fob is close by. This device allows the thieves to unlock the car and the ignition to be started.
The method can only be used on cars with keyless entry unlock systems – these cars unlock automatically when the key fob comes within a short-range distance of the car. Keyless entry cars allow the driver to unlock and start the car with the key fob still in their pocket or bag. Once in the car, the driver can press a button to start the engine without ever needing to touch the key fob / remote.
Get breaking news in Yorkshire straight to your phone
Get all the latest big and breaking Yorkshire news straight to your mobile via WhatsApp by clicking here.
If you don’t like our community, you can leave any time. We also treat members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Read our privacy notice here.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Yorkshire
