Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed it will begin restoring production at its UK plants in the “coming days,” following a major cyber-attack that forced a complete shutdown earlier this month.
The company halted operations across its three facilities in the West Midlands and Merseyside on 1 September, after its systems were compromised overnight.
The BBC reported that activity will first resume at the Wolverhampton engine plant on 6 October, with other sites expected to follow in stages as part of a gradual restart.
However, industry insiders caution that it may take several weeks before operations return to full capacity.
In an internal message to staff on Monday, JLR stressed that the “foundational work of our recovery programme is firmly underway,” noting that the phased restart was designed to bring IT systems back online in a “safe and secure manner.”
The company had earlier indicated that production was unlikely to resume before 1 October at the earliest.
A JLR spokesperson reiterated that recovery efforts remain ongoing, “We continue to work around the clock alongside cybersecurity specialists, the UK government’s National Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement to ensure our restart is done in a safe and secure manner,” they said.
Relief for supply chain
The restart announcement has been met with relief by suppliers, many of whom faced mounting financial strain during the stoppage.
Smaller firms in particular were seen as vulnerable, with some at risk of collapse.
JLR directly employs around 30,000 people across its Solihull, Wolverhampton, and Halewood plants, while a further 100,000 are tied to its supply chain. Some suppliers produce parts solely for JLR, while others also work with rival manufacturers.
One supplier described the restart as welcome news but warned that financial challenges remain, “The news that the restart was welcome and would provide some relief for businesses that rely on orders from JLR, but insisted that the losses already caused meant that financial assistance was still badly needed.”
The supplier added that fragile firms could not afford to shoulder more debt.
Government support package
In response, the UK government announced over the weekend that it would guarantee £1.5bn in loans to help stabilize JLR and its supply base.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, said the funding would “provide certainty” and “support for the jobs in its business and its supply chain.”
JLR sources clarified that the assistance would be used to ease cashflow pressures with direct suppliers and cover parts orders, leaving those firms responsible for settling their own downstream obligations.
In a statement, the carmaker expressed gratitude to staff and partners, “We know there is much more to do but the foundational work of our recovery is firmly underway, and we will continue to provide updates as we progress.”
Downing Street also welcomed the development, acknowledging it had been “a concerning time for workers at Jaguar Land Rover and, of course, across the supply chain.”
Wider cyber-attack concerns
JLR’s ordeal is the latest in a series of cyber-attacks hitting UK companies in 2025.
Luxury retailer Harrods recently confirmed hackers had stolen data tied to 430,000 customer records, following a separate breach earlier in the year.
The same group claiming responsibility for that attempt has also been linked to costly hacks on M&S and Co-op, which together have suffered hundreds of millions of pounds in losses.
