Range Rovers becoming uninsurable in London?

Range Rovers becoming uninsurable in London?

Author
Discussion

cootuk

Original Poster:

918 posts

122 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
Reports now that, due to Range Rovers being one of the most stolen cars in London, many insurers are either refusing cover or massively increasing premiums.
They cite the sheer popularity and ease at which parts can be sold or vehicles shipped abroad.

Tracker also quote that 44% of the vehicles recovered last year using their system were Range Rovers / Landrovers.

craigjm

17,907 posts

199 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all

457892345

406 posts

75 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
craigjm said:
That threads just about leggy old ranges nothing to do with them being stolen?

Harry Flashman

19,282 posts

241 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
I bought an Audi SQ7 over a Disco 5 for many reasons, but one was that it costs half as much to insure in SW2, despite being a faster car.

easytiger123

2,591 posts

208 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
Around my way (NW London) most of the Range Rovers (and the new-ish Land Rover) that are parked on residential streets have those yellow bar locks on the steering wheel. I don't notice them nearly as much on other manufacturer's cars. As I see the same ones again and again, I assume they actually work, at least as a deterrent.

Mumsn3t

189 posts

23 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
easytiger123 said:
Around my way (NW London) most of the Range Rovers (and the new-ish Land Rover) that are parked on residential streets have those yellow bar locks on the steering wheel. I don't notice them nearly as much on other manufacturer's cars. As I see the same ones again and again, I assume they actually work, at least as a deterrent.
No, they add about 30 seconds to the time it takes to steal. Cordless angle grinder, take a look at YouTube, loads of cctv footage of sparks flying around the interior whilst a fellow scumbag amplifys the key signal.

vikingaero

10,256 posts

168 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
On Facebook Marketplace there is a machine for sale for £3k that can code/encode/locl/unlock/start all JLR products .Obviously it's for "legitimate" use only.

craigjm

17,907 posts

199 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
457892345 said:
craigjm said:
That threads just about leggy old ranges nothing to do with them being stolen?
I think it gave me the wrong link. There is a story on the main page about this topic linked to a discussion. That’s what I was trying to link to


Louis Balfour

26,271 posts

221 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
easytiger123 said:
Around my way (NW London) most of the Range Rovers (and the new-ish Land Rover) that are parked on residential streets have those yellow bar locks on the steering wheel. I don't notice them nearly as much on other manufacturer's cars. As I see the same ones again and again, I assume they actually work, at least as a deterrent.
Yep, proper luxury that. A medieval mechanical device required, to prevent your £150k Range Rover being stolen.

Mine was stolen about 10 years ago, when keyless theft was a new thing. A plummy chap from Land Rover head office called me to tell me that they had absolutely no security problems and were not at all concerned about "the great many Range Rovers being stolen... er sorry, the isolated incident that is the theft of your car Mr Balfour".

When Plod recovered it, LR themselves eventually suggested that I buy a Crook Lock as a "temporary measure" whilst they investigated the problem.

That they still haven't resolved their security issues ten years later speaks volumes about them.







easytiger123

2,591 posts

208 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
Mumsn3t said:
easytiger123 said:
Around my way (NW London) most of the Range Rovers (and the new-ish Land Rover) that are parked on residential streets have those yellow bar locks on the steering wheel. I don't notice them nearly as much on other manufacturer's cars. As I see the same ones again and again, I assume they actually work, at least as a deterrent.
No, they add about 30 seconds to the time it takes to steal. Cordless angle grinder, take a look at YouTube, loads of cctv footage of sparks flying around the interior whilst a fellow scumbag amplifys the key signal.
Interesting thanks. I’d assumed they wouldn’t stop a determined thief but I also thought it was more than 30 seconds and messing up your interior too!

EdJ

1,284 posts

194 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
The steering locks just make your car less attractive than one without a steering lock. It's the same with a burglar alarm at a house.

If the thief really wants the car, they will take it.

One thing I'm not clear on is whether the security has improved with the new FFRR / RRS? Surely given all the problems, Land Rover made some enhancements to their latest models?

Lastly, I'd point out that this is of course largely an issue with desirable cars - not just Land Rovers.

tonyvid

9,869 posts

242 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
easytiger123 said:
Around my way (NW London) most of the Range Rovers (and the new-ish Land Rover) that are parked on residential streets have those yellow bar locks on the steering wheel. I don't notice them nearly as much on other manufacturer's cars. As I see the same ones again and again, I assume they actually work, at least as a deterrent.
I saw a Velar in Edmonton at the weekend and it had a disc-lock on the steering wheel a two(two!) big wheel clamps on as well! I'd struggle to enjoy owning something like that when every time I left it I would have to spend 10mins securing the thing

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
I think it is the L405/L494 generation cars and their Disco equivalents specifically. Our old L322 is about £400 to insure in London. The last quote I had for an L405 was £1300.

As others have similarly observed, the LRs of that generation parked around us on and off street universally have yellow bar locks on the steering wheels. I’d be amazed if they didn’t also have trackers.

I guess it’s too early to know whether the L460 cars are more secure, though I’d imagine their value alone at this stage of their life makes them expensive to insure.

Yex GTR

4,583 posts

219 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
I know a Police Officer who works specifically on car thefts and chop shops. Without fail the most cars he and his team locate every month are LR's of any sort, particularly those under 2 or 3 years old. They are stolen, chopped and in containers in under 24 hours. A very large marketplace for parts (particularly engines and gearboxes) in Africa and Middle East fuels the stealing here.

Super Sonic

4,515 posts

53 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
Can't oners disable them by removing the fuel pump fuse or similar?

megenzo

236 posts

135 months

Friday 24th February 2023
quotequote all
vikingaero said:
On Facebook Marketplace there is a machine for sale for £3k that can code/encode/locl/unlock/start all JLR products .Obviously it's for "legitimate" use only.
What about ones with an immobilser?

Mark V GTD

2,194 posts

123 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
quotequote all
Anyone know if the new LR products have the transponder keys that shut down once they are still for a few minutes such as the latest VAG ones - or are they active all the time and need keeping in a Faraday ouch/box?

oop north

1,592 posts

127 months

Monday 27th February 2023
quotequote all
Mark V GTD said:
Anyone know if the new LR products have the transponder keys that shut down once they are still for a few minutes such as the latest VAG ones - or are they active all the time and need keeping in a Faraday ouch/box?
My understanding was that LR started doing this a while ago, ahead of other manufacturers - eg I think my ipace had this and so did contemporary land rovers. But that seems inconsistent with the nightmare theft rates so I have no idea. Sorry wink

Harry Flashman

19,282 posts

241 months

Monday 27th February 2023
quotequote all
Yex GTR said:
I know a Police Officer who works specifically on car thefts and chop shops. Without fail the most cars he and his team locate every month are LR's of any sort, particularly those under 2 or 3 years old. They are stolen, chopped and in containers in under 24 hours. A very large marketplace for parts (particularly engines and gearboxes) in Africa and Middle East fuels the stealing here.
LoL at Range Rovers being stolen for spare parts.

I mean, one theory has to be that as they break more often than anything else, they get nicked to solve the problem...

cootuk

Original Poster:

918 posts

122 months

Monday 6th March 2023
quotequote all
Bradford T&A
Six men are due to appear in court today (Monday) charged in connection with an investigation into the organised theft of Range Rovers, Land Rovers and Mercedes Sprinter vans across West Yorkshire.


It follows an investigation by officers from Leeds District Intelligence Unit into a series of keyless thefts in the Leeds, Dewsbury and Wakefield areas that led to warrants being executed at two suspected ‘chop shop’ premises in Armley and Dewsbury where vehicles were found in various stages of dismantlement.

A total of 17 Range Rovers and Land Rovers and four Mercedes Sprinter vans were identified as being stolen in a conspiracy with an estimated value of around £1 million.