Jaguar Land Rover has told factory staff to remain at home until Tuesday as it battles the fallout from a cyber attack.
The weekend attack forced the company to shut down vital IT systems. That decision disrupted both production and sales.
Production has stopped at the Halewood plant in Merseyside, the Solihull site in the West Midlands, and the Wolverhampton engine factory.
The company continues to review the situation. Managers have warned output could stay suspended even longer.
sales and production disrupted
Car sales have faced heavy disruption. However, some transactions have still gone through, according to sources close to the matter.
Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata Motors, shut down its systems on Sunday. The company aimed to limit possible damage from the intrusion.
It now works to restore systems carefully. Experts describe the process as highly complex. Work-arounds are in place for still-failing systems.
The attack struck during a key sales moment. Many customers traditionally pick up new cars when fresh registration plates arrive each September.
suppliers and garages feel the strain
Disruption has spread far beyond Jaguar Land Rover’s own lines. Parts suppliers have restricted operations and criticised the firm for poor transparency.
Repair garages also feel the strain. Owners of Jaguars and Land Rovers may face delays if their cars need replacement parts.
James Wallis from Nyewood Express, a garage in West Sussex, voiced frustration. He said he cannot access the database needed to order vital parts.
“The parts list links to every car,” he explained. “Without access, I cannot order and cannot fix vehicles.”
He added: “If the only supplier is unreachable, repairs stop. Cars stay idle. Customers face long waits.”
hacker group claims responsibility
On Wednesday, a hacker group claimed responsibility. The same collective had earlier launched a damaging attack on Marks and Spencer.
The English-speaking hackers, thought to be teenagers, call themselves “Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters.” They said they broke into Jaguar Land Rover’s systems.
They shared two images online. One showed internal guidance for a charging issue, the other contained computer logs.
A cybersecurity expert said the screenshots suggested access to information outsiders should not have seen.
Jaguar Land Rover confirmed it is investigating the breach. So far, no evidence suggests customer data has been stolen.
digital strategy faces questions
In 2023 Jaguar Land Rover signed a five-year, £800m deal with Tata Consultancy Services. The aim was to boost digital transformation and provide cybersecurity.
The current halt in production comes as a fresh setback. The company recently blamed falling profits on higher costs linked to US tariffs.
