Ask the Expert: Why has my Land Rover’s insurance gone up so much?
Dear Alex,
I have owned Land Rover Discovery Sports for more than seven years. My latest is now three years old. Fully comprehensive insurance costs were about £300 in 2016 and crept up to £440 by 2023. My renewal due next month is £700 – a 59 per cent increase. I have a full no-claims discount and no points on my licence. I am aware of the heightened theft risk of keyless cars and for that reason I opted for the SE model that has old-fashioned remote control locking. Am I being made to pay for all those stolen Range Rovers with keyless locking?
– AC
Dear AC,
Land Rovers and Range Rovers are fast becoming to the 2020s what hot hatches were in the 1990s – such hot property among thieves that they’re rapidly becoming uninsurable. To help understand the reasons why in greater detail, a recent piece on theft of the 4x4s by my colleague Andrew English is an excellent read.
I appreciate this is cold comfort, but your premium hasn’t risen anywhere near as much as those of some Range Rover owners – with eye-watering renewal quotes of as much as £30,000.
I suspect this is probably because you chose a lower-specification model, partly because it lacks the flashier cosmetics of a more upmarket version, but also because it doesn’t have keyless entry, as you point out.
Having said that, relay theft (in which thieves relay the broadcast from the key inside your house to the car) isn’t the only way to steal a vehicle; frankly, if thieves want your Land Rover badly enough – and they probably do – they will find a way to take it. Because of that, it’s no surprise insurance premiums have risen.
That isn’t the only factor at play here, though. It’s not only Land Rover owners whose premiums have risen. Car insurance prices in general have been subject to inflationary pressures, too; with parts and labour costs increasing, and some parts on back order, insurers are having to pay more both for repairs and to keep customers in courtesy cars for longer.
What you’re experiencing is a confluence of these two factors. No, you aren’t being fleeced – but you are one of the many unfortunate Land Rover and Range Rover owners bearing the brunt of this double whammy.
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