You’ve probably heard about Land Rover’s reputation for being easy to steal, and data from the DVLA backs this up. But why are they stolen so often and how can you protect your Land Rover against theft?
What Makes Land Rovers Easy To Steal?
Land Rovers, particularly older Defenders, are very susceptible to being stolen due to being very low-tech in terms of security. Defenders are awesome since they are basically big meccano kits, but that also means that thieves armed with a few tools can easily break in and drive off with them. Any car thief with half decent skills are able to start the car in minutes, especially if there are no security measures put in place by the owner.
Many old Defenders aren’t fitted with sophisticated immobilisers, or even alarms in any form, which is a car thieves dream.
Now that we’ve taken a quick look at how easily stolen Land Rovers are, let’s look at how to prevent your Defender from being stolen.
How To Protect A Land Rover Against Theft
Luckily, there are a few affordable and effective ways to make your Land Rover a much smaller target. Unlike the more modern Range Rovers, which are mainly susceptible to keyless car theft, Defenders are often broken into the old-school way.
1. Park The Land Rover Defensively
If you’re able to, park the Land Rover defensively. Defensive parking is where you park in a way that driving or towing the car away is very challenging. There are a variety of techniques you can use, but the most effective is parking very close to a wall, and using other vehicles to block it in. The more obstacles you add in the way, the more difficult it will be for a car thief to tow the car away or drive it off.
2. Park on Steering Lock
Parking the car turned in as far right or left as possible is a good way of making the car much more difficult to be towed, especially if the tire is up against a wall. Just like defensive parking, this is absolutely free and is a very good idea if you have somewhere to park up against. Even doing this up against a curb is very effective, particularly if there isn’t a driveway available.
3. Install A Metal Post For Your Land Rover
If you aren’t parking on the roadside and have the benefit of your own driveway, it might be worth installing a heavy duty steel post to block your car in. These are collapsible and can be fitted into the ground, allowing you to quickly secure your car in a few seconds. Remember that the ground clearance of cars this big is pretty high, so you’re going to need one that’s tall enough, such as this.
4. Get A Stoplock or Disklok
By far the most effective way of stopping car thieves in their tracks is to get a good steering wheel lock. The Stoplock Pro Elite is a good option, which simply clamps around the wheel and takes a lot of elbow grease to take off. They are near impossible to remove without serious power tools, as you can see from this video:
Like the other methods of securing your car, they aren’t 100% thief proof though. It’s definitely worth combining a Stoplock with a few other car security methods to be extra safe.
5. Fit a Tracker To Your Land Rover
Fitting a tracker doesn’t necessarily prevent theft of your precious car, but it definitely helps when it comes to getting the car recovered if it is unfortunately stolen. A decent vehicle tracker in 2023 is super accurate, and some of them are able to locate a car to within a metre or two of accuracy.
5. Etching The Windows
Etching the VIN number of your Land Rover into your car’s windows can be a great way of preventing theives. Parts with the VIN number etched in are much more difficult to sell, and can help the police track your vehicle down if it does end up stolen.
Conclusion – Land Rovers are easily stolen, but there are lots of ways to protect them.
So there you have it – land Rovers are very easily stolen unfortunately, but being savvy when it comes to protecting your car from theft will go a long way into stopping the terrible possibility of walking over to your car just to see it missing.
The key to preventing car theft is to make it challenging enough that thieves will simply move on to the next target. On the other hand, having the mentality of “that just happens to other people” is very dangerous, especially with the number of stolen Range Rovers and Land Rovers every year in the UK.
On the plus side, Land Rovers are no longer the most commonly stolen cars in the UK, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still prime targets for thieves.
Quick Summary
There are several steps you can take to help prevent your Land Rover Defender from being stolen:
- Always lock your doors and close the windows when you leave the vehicle.
- Use a steering wheel lock or other visible anti-theft device.
- Install a car alarm or tracking device.
- Park in a well-lit, secure area.
- Consider getting etched windows with your vehicle identification number (VIN) to make it more difficult for thieves to sell stolen parts.
- Don’t leave valuables in plain sight in your vehicle.
- Keep a record of your VIN and license plate number in case your vehicle is stolen.
By following these tips, you can help protect your Land Rover Defender from being stolen.