The industry giant behind Citroen faces mounting criticism over the way it has handled an urgent safety recall which includes 120,000 drivers in the UK
Thousands of Citroen car owners in the UK have been left fuming, with many heavily out of pocket, after what has been branded a botched recall.
Car giant Stellantis issued a rare alert for owners of popular Citroen C3 models to not drive the vehicle because of a potentially lethal fault with the airbags. It follows a fatal accident in France in June when a 37 year-old mother driving a C3 was struck in the head by pieces of flying metal after a minor collision.
The recall relates to all Citroën C3 second generation, and DS 3 first generation, vehicles manufactured between 2009 and 2019 and equipped with Takata airbags. Stellantis was so concerned it issued an immediate “stop-drive” alert. Around 120,000 UK owners are impacted.
Owners were urged to contact their dealer for a free airbag replacement. But consumer group Which? has slammed the firm and demanded it set up a compensation scheme after being flooded with cases of owners who say have been told they must wait months for the repair to be done.
Eva Lauren Kelly, a software engineer from Cardiff, planned to drive to the Netherlands in her DS3 for a camping trip in mid-August, with non-refundable ferry and Eurotunnel shuttle bookings.
With the car no longer driveable because of the recall, Eva says she was given a repair date but it was due to clash with a major surgery she was having in London.
Rather than face potential delays to the repair, having to get the train to pre-op appointments or risk losing the cost of her trip, she ended up buying a new car for £10,000. She said: “This has been a gigantic headache and Stellantis has been resoundingly unhelpful throughout.”
Others owners have been forced to shell out a “fortune” on hire cars and taxis. Some owners told Which? they have had no choice but to keep on driving despite the risks.
There has also been confusing advice from insurers, with some telling them they are covered to drive despite the manufacturer’s advice not to, the group said.
Which? is also critical of the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency as it responsible for monitoring vehicle recalls. It says the DVSA has not provided clear guidance to help impacted drivers.
Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, said: “From people left stranded with no means of transport, to those paying out a fortune to hire cars and taxis, the emotional and financial burden of this recall has fallen squarely on those least able to absorb it.
“Stellantis must urgently confirm it will pay compensation for alternative transport as well as offer practical solutions such as offering at-home repairs or towing affected cars to garages. If not, many people will see no alternative but to continue driving cars that are potentially very dangerous.
“The government needs to step in and hold them to account to ensure UK consumers have much greater clarity of what they need to do and what they are entitled to – and are never left in this position again.”
A Stellantis spokesperson said: “The company’s focus remains on completing the replacement of airbags in affected vehicles as swiftly as possible.
“Our Citroën network is fully engaged in maximising the number of cars that can be completed every day and, to increase our repair capacity even further and minimise as much as possible the impact on customers, our Peugeot network is now authorised to replace airbags on these cars in addition to at home options.
“For each and every customer, we discuss options to support mobility, recognising that every driver has specific requirements. These options include replacement airbags at a dealership or at home, courtesy car, support for other mobility options and recovery. We give priority to those with the most urgent needs.”
A DVSA spokesperson said: “DVSA is supporting Citroën’s decision to issue an immediate ‘stop drive’ recall of (certain models of) the C3 and DS3 and will assist them where needed.
“We are working with Citroën to make sure that everyone with these vehicles knows that they can’t use this model of car until the necessary repair work has been carried out.
“To check if your vehicle is affected, car owners can use the checker on Citroën’s website.”