Stellantis Issues Urgent Recall for Citroën DS 3 and C3 Models Due to Faulty Takata Airbags
Stellantis has issued a critical safety warning to all UK owners of Mk1 DS 3s and Mk2 Citroën C3s built between 2009 and 2019, instructing them to immediately stop driving their vehicles.
This directive applies to both the Citroën DS 3 and later models of the supermini that were rebranded under the DS brand.
The decision comes in the wake of a tragic incident in Reims, France, where a woman lost her life due to the explosion of the Takata airbag in her 2014 Citroën C3.
Following pressure from French authorities, Stellantis has been urged to remove all DS 3s and C3s equipped with the defective Takata airbags from the roads. Despite having already initiated a recall for the affected vehicles and replacing airbags in nearly 70% of the 690,000 units, the response from the brand was deemed inadequate by France’s transport minister, Philippe Tabarot, as reported by Radio France Internationale.
Stellantis has assured that all impacted C3 and DS 3 owners will receive notification via mail. Owners are advised to ensure that their contact details registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) are up to date to facilitate prompt communication.
To determine if their vehicle is affected, owners can perform a vehicle identification number (VIN) search on the Citroën UK website.
Stellantis UK has emphasized the importance of affected car owners registering for airbag repairs without delay. This can be completed online, by contacting the company’s recall helpline at 0800 917 9285, or by reaching out to Citroën customer care at 0800 093 9393.
The company has mobilized its network of suppliers, retailers, and manufacturing facilities to expedite the repair process for affected vehicles.
Stellantis has reiterated its commitment to addressing the issue swiftly, transparently, and responsibly.
The faulty Takata airbags have been at the center of the largest vehicle recall in history, dating back to 2017 when Takata acknowledged concealing flaws in their systems. Concerns were initially raised in 2006, highlighting instances where airbag inflators deployed with excessive force, leading to the release of metal fragments into the vehicle. The global impact of the recall affected over 100 million cars worldwide.
