Manufacturing Mayhem: The Cyber-Attack That Ground UK Car Production to a Halt

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) faced a devastating impact from a recent cyber-attack that led to a five-week shutdown of its factories, resulting in a historic decline in UK car production. For September, car manufacturing in the UK plummeted over 27%, with just 51,000 vehicles produced, marking the lowest output for the month since 1952—even lower than during the pandemic.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) highlighted that JLR’s plants, located in Solihull, Wolverhampton, and Halewood, produced no vehicles during this period due to the disruption of IT systems and halting of global operations. Other manufacturers maintained stable production levels, further emphasizing the unique impact of the JLR situation on overall statistics.

In economic terms, the attack carries an estimated cost of £1.9 billion, potentially rendering it the most damaging cyber event in the UK’s history. Research from the Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC) revealed that approximately 5,000 businesses have been affected, predicting a full recovery for the sector won’t materialize until January 2026.

Despite these challenges, there is a glimmer of hope as JLR begins to phase the return of production. JLR remains the UK’s second-largest car producer after Nissan. Overall vehicle production in September sank 35.9% compared to the previous year, reaching around 54,300 vehicles. Exports also suffered significantly, dropping 24.5% as major markets such as the EU, US, Turkey, Japan, and South Korea saw declines.

SMMT CEO Mike Hawes commented that the results reflect the total production loss at Britain’s top automotive employer. Meanwhile, some industry leaders such as Ian Plummer from Autotrader, predict that once production resumes, there will be a surge in demand similar to post-Covid recovery trends. JLR’s brands especially ranked highest for monthly sales leads, indicating strong demand amid current constraints.

Looking ahead, the SMMT raised concerns about the UK government’s initiative to increase domestic production to 1.3 million vehicles a year, especially if proposed tax breaks for Employee Car Ownership Schemes (ECOS) are revoked. There is a strong call within the industry for urgent actions to enhance competitiveness and bolster the supply chain’s resilience, marking a crucial moment for the future of automotive manufacturing in the UK.