Citroen recall sees owners told to stop driving “immediately”
A ‘Stop-drive’ order has been issued by Citroen following a fatality that may have been caused by a faulty Takata airbag
Owners of several Citroen models have been asked to stop driving their cars immediately, following the issue of a recall notice regarding faulty airbags which could be dangerous to occupants.
The models affected are the second-generation Citroen C3 supermini and more stylish Citroen DS3, which were both on sale between 2009 and 2016, as well as the DS 3 (2016-2019). All are suspected to contain faulty Takata airbags.
A defective airbag is recently believed to have led to the death of a woman in Reims, France, after she swerved in her 2014 C3 to avoid hitting an HGV. Issues surrounding the airbag’s ammonium nitrate gas generator resulted in shards of metal splintering through the car.
The French Transport Ministry has since ordered Citroen to conduct a recall and while no similar incidents have been reported in the UK, Stellantis is taking the opportunity to issue a stop-drive order here as well to avoid any safety concerns.
A statement by the French Transport Ministry said that the situation “raises questions about the risk analyses carried out by the manufacturer”. However, Stellantis says the move to initiate a recall in the UK “underscores the company’s unwavering commitment to customer safety”.
Of course, it’s worth pointing out that Citroen is not the only firm to have fitted its cars with potentially problematic Takata airbags; the French Transport Ministry has also issued warnings for owners of Audis, BMWs, Fords, Nissans, Peugeots and even Ferraris.
Regarding the Citroen recall, customers will receive a letter in the post outlining the next steps; Stellantis also has an ‘Is my car affected?’ web page online, as well as a recall helpline (0800 917 9285) if you need to speak with someone directly.
Any recall-related work performed will be covered by Stellantis and should only take around half a day to complete at one of dozens of authorised Citroen garages across the country.
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