Jaguar Lost Track of Tens of Thousands of Vehicles In Wake of Cyberattack
Late last month, Jaguar suffered a major cyberattack that caused it to halt production and drove dealers to complete transactions on paper instead of electronically. We’re now two weeks into the ordeal, and Jaguar still hasn’t restarted production, which isn’t expected to change until next week. Adding fuel to the fire, the automaker reportedly lost track of 40,000 vehicles built before the attack.
Some analysts say the downtime could cost Jaguar Land Rover as much as five million pounds per day, but others say the damage could be as much as double that amount. Jaguar already slashed most of its production output, leaving it with only the F-Pace SUV on sale, but one vehicle is better than none.
Beyond the price tag, the cyberattack has made it more difficult for Jag’s service departments to get parts. The automaker is flying blind with suppliers, and the problem has also made the used vehicle preparation process much more complicated.
Jaguar initially said no data was taken, but quickly backed off that statement as the investigation progressed. Not that there is a good time for something like this to happen, but it’s particularly poor timing for Jaguar, which is struggling with U.S. tariffs and challenging sales markets in other countries.
[Images: Jaguar]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I got over Studebaker, I can get over Jaguar.
Hackers paralyzed the yet-to-be new Jaguar but also killed off their sales supply to carry them through their transition. Might as well pick a new name too, like "Jessica", so all of this confusion lands properly. It will make it easy to dismiss from the legacy of the '53 LeMans win by Rolt and Hamilton.