Citroën C3 and DS3 owners are urged to replace faulty airbags linked to a recall affecting over 4.5 million vehicles in France, which poses severe risks of explosion during collisions. Local garages are overwhelmed with repair requests, resulting in long wait times for appointments. Despite Stellantis’ warnings against using affected vehicles, some owners, reliant on their cars for transportation, face difficult choices. The situation has already led to at least 13 fatalities, prompting ongoing recalls across various brands.
Urgent Airbag Replacement for Citroën Owners
Catherine has just discovered the urgent need to replace the airbags in her Citroën C3. “I personally contacted Stellantis, who confirmed my vehicle is part of this recall campaign. However, I haven’t received any official notification yet. They provided me with the contact details of a garage,” she shares. Her C3 is among the numerous vehicles recalled in northern France, particularly affecting C3s and DS3s manufactured between 2008 and 2013. The faulty airbags pose a severe risk, as they can explode during a collision, sending a metal projectile hurtling towards the driver at speeds exceeding 300 km/h, potentially causing life-threatening injuries.
Overwhelmed Garages and Long Wait Times
With over 4.5 million vehicles impacted, repairs are fully covered by the manufacturer. Since the announcement of this recall on February 17, requests at local garages have surged, leading to extended wait times for appointments. Philippe Delanaux, manager of a Peugeot Citroën garage in Peltre, warns, “We need to allocate more staff to handle these repairs swiftly. If the demand tapers off in two to three weeks, we should be fine, but otherwise, delays could persist until summer.” In Valognes, the Citroën dealership is similarly inundated, with appointments pushed to April. Manager Mehdi Melvaque is actively seeking to hire additional staff to expedite airbag replacement.
Despite Stellantis urging affected vehicle owners to refrain from using their cars, some individuals find it impossible. Elise, relying on her vehicle to commute to work, states, “I have to drive my car; it’s my only transportation option.” With no loaner vehicle available, she feels compelled to risk driving, acknowledging the danger posed by the potentially explosive airbags. “It’s frightening to think that our safety is compromised,” she admits.
The gravity of this situation cannot be understated, as this malfunction has already contributed to at least 13 fatalities in France, according to the Ministry of Transport. The now-defunct Takata, the supplier of these airbags, equipped over 100 million vehicles globally. While French brands like Citroën and Peugeot are directly affected, other manufacturers such as Tesla, Opel, Chrysler, and Jeep are also involved, totaling around thirty brands and 150 models produced from 1998 to 2019.
Since 2020, Stellantis has ramped up vehicle recalls, initially targeting overseas territories and southern regions of metropolitan France, and now extending to the northern areas as well. “It’s not feasible to replace all the airbags simultaneously. We are addressing the situation in phases, focusing on the most at-risk areas and vehicles,” explains a Stellantis spokesperson. In France, over 4.5 million vehicles across various brands are grappling with airbag-related issues. Some manufacturers assert they are proactively addressing the recalls; for instance, a Ford dealer stated, “We didn’t wait for accidents to begin recalling affected vehicles,” while Honda mentioned that their first recall notifications were sent out as early as 2013. Moving forward, Stellantis has plans to recall an additional 500,000 vehicles in France in the coming months.