Jaguar Land Rover hit by cyberattack causing severe production disruption and sales halt

Jaguar Land Rover has suffered a significant cyberattack, severely disrupting the production and sale of its vehicles. The UK-based automotive giant informed Tata Motors, its Indian parent company, that it is working to address widespread IT problems that have affected its operations globally. Staff at the Halewood facility in Merseyside have reportedly been advised not to attend work owing to the continuing disruption.

Immediate steps were taken by the company to mitigate the damage, including shutting down business systems. The company stated it is now striving to restore its global applications in a controlled fashion. There has not yet been any evidence suggesting customer data has been compromised, yet retail and production functions across the business have experienced extensive interruption.

Jaguar Land Rover, headquartered in Gaydon, Warwickshire, is renowned for its Range Rover series and the Slovakian-produced Defender, along with the Jaguar marque. As the largest automotive employer in Britain, it maintains major sites in the West Midlands and Merseyside. Recent cyberattacks have also impacted other major British retailers, including Marks and Spencer and the Co-op, with M and S forced to halt online orders in a similar incident.

This incident adds to a string of challenges facing the company. Jaguar Land Rover reported a near 50 per cent fall in profit for the second quarter, attributed to weaker luxury car sales and the impact of tariffs imposed by President Trump on vehicles manufactured outside the United States. The company said these US tariffs had a direct and material effect on its profitability and cashflow during the period. However, a newly signed US-UK trade agreement is expected to substantially lessen the future financial burden of American tariffs.

The North American market, typically nearly a third of all volumes for the brand, saw wholesale sales fall by 12.2 per cent year-on-year in the quarter. In July, the company announced plans to cut up to 500 management positions, representing about 1.5 per cent of staff, through a voluntary redundancy programme. Signalling ongoing turbulence, JLR chief executive Adrian Mardell is scheduled to depart in December following a distinguished 35-year tenure at the business.

The company has also come under fire in the United States, where President Trump publicly described Jaguar Land Rover as a “total disaster” and criticised its recent advertising campaign for the new Jaguar electric model. The campaign was noted for its focus on diversity and style, drawing mixed reactions, with the car later revealed in an eye-catching Miami pink shade that was widely discussed.