Citroen recall: dealer network overwhelmed as thousands told to stop driving “immediately”

As many as 120,000 Citroen owners have been asked to stop driving their vehicles immediately after a recall over faulty airbags that could prove lethal when deployed.

The debacle surrounds several Citroen models including the second-generation Citroen C3 supermini and 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 airbags produced by the now-defunct manufacturer, Takata.

However, given the sheer number of vehicles this affects, reports suggest that many owners are struggling to get their car fixed, with the scale and breadth of the recall overwhelming the Citroen dealer network. 

One DS3 owner told the BBC that she’s “tried to get the car fixed, but as I didn't get to know about the recall soon enough, the earliest it can be done is the end of July”. Another said the soonest they’ve been able to secure a slot is January next year.

Auto Express has approached Citroen’s parent firm, Stellantis, for comment, but is yet to receive a response.

The whole debacle follows an accident in Reims, France, in which a woman in a 2014 C3 swerved to avoid an HGV. Issues surrounding the ammonium nitrate gas generator in the car’s airbag resulted in shards of metal splintering through the car, fatally injuring her.

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.

Customers affected by the ongoing recall 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.

The cost of any recall-related work will be covered by Stellantis and that work should only take around two hours to complete at one of dozens of authorised Citroen garages across the country – if, of course, owners are able to secure a slot.

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