An estimated 120,000 motorists within the UK have been left unable to drive their vehicles after a security alert over a probably deadly fault with airbags.
The automobile large Stellantis just lately mentioned folks ought to cease utilizing variations of the favored Citroen C3 and the associated DS3 altogether till they have been mounted.
The “stop-drive” instruction got here amid rising issues concerning the security of airbags fitted to those fashions, following a deadly accident in France final month.
Plenty of house owners have since advised the BBC they face lengthy waits to get their vehicles mounted. Stellantis mentioned it was “inevitable” that clients could be inconvenienced.
Amongst these affected is Lisa Shackleton from Hull who contacted the BBC by way of Your Voice, Your BBC Information. The 69-year-old owns a 2014 Citroen DS3. She wants it to take her aged husband to specialist medical appointments.
She has additionally booked a summer season vacation in a cottage a three-hour drive away, to be near her daughter, who’s present process chemotherapy. However now she is not sure of get there.
“I’ve tried to get the automobile mounted, however as I did not get to know concerning the recall quickly sufficient, the earliest it may be completed is the tip of July,” she says.
“It is booked in at a dealership in York, and that is an hour’s drive away.”
One other motorist advised the BBC she had not been capable of ebook her automobile in for the restore till January subsequent 12 months.
Stellantis, the multi-national agency which owns the Citroen model, mentioned it was “working to maximise” the variety of autos it may restore every day, and that precedence wanted to be given to these with probably the most pressing wants.
Airbag scandal
Cease-drive remembers, the place house owners are advised to not use their vehicles in any respect attributable to security dangers, are uncommon. This one impacts all C3 and DS3 fashions constructed from 2009-2016, in addition to a handful of DS3s produced from 2016-2019. Stellantis mentioned they shouldn’t be pushed till airbags produced by the now defunct Japanese provider Takata have been changed.
It’s the newest improvement in a long-running saga which has led to the recall of an estimated 100 million vehicles worldwide over the previous decade.
The problem was introduced again into focus final month by the dying of a motorist in northern France. A 37-year-old girl driving a Citroen C3 was killed after a minor collision in Reims when she was struck by flying steel from a defective airbag.
Takata was as soon as one of many world’s greatest suppliers of airbags, security gadgets which are supposed to defend folks from impacts when accidents happen. However in 2013 studies started to emerge of individuals being killed or injured by their merchandise.
Explosive chemical substances, used to inflate the luggage shortly within the occasion of an accident, have been changing into extra risky over time, particularly in heat and humid situations.
This might trigger them to blow up with an excessive amount of pressure, fracturing their steel container, and sending shrapnel into the cabin of the car.
Numerous automobile makers have been affected and quickly responded with a swathe of remembers. Nevertheless Stellantis, then referred to as PSA Group previous to a merger with FiatChrysler, mentioned it had been advised by Takata that airbags made in its European factories weren’t affected, they usually continued to be fitted in new autos in consequence.
Takata filed for chapter in 2017, its popularity destroyed by the affair.
[BBC]
‘Poor communication’
Stellantis mentioned it had solely change into conscious of incidents involving European-made airbags in 2019, and initially believed solely vehicles in sizzling and humid areas have been affected. It started a recall marketing campaign in these areas.
In April final 12 months the recall was prolonged throughout the entire of Europe, however folks have been nonetheless allowed to drive their autos whereas they awaited a restore.
The C3 and DS3 have been already lined by this recall, however following the incident in northern France, Stellantis went additional, saying a stop-drive motion throughout the continent, together with within the UK. This took impact on 20 June.
Since then, nonetheless, dozens of automobile house owners have complained to the BBC of poor communication from Stellantis and combined, typically contradictory, messages from Citroen and DS dealerships.
Regardless of the typically critical disruption triggered to automobile house owners’ day by day lives, Stellantis mentioned it had no plans to supply compensation whereas including that it had “mobilised the entire firm” to supply the variety of substitute airbags required.
A spokesperson mentioned: “It’s inevitable, with such a lot of autos affected, that clients shall be inconvenienced within the quick time period.”
What is just not clear is how clients ought to get their vehicles to dealerships for the restore work, as they can’t be pushed. Trade specialists say drivers ought to verify with their insurers earlier than getting behind the wheel.
The corporate mentioned it was “investigating choices of airbag substitute at different websites, along with our Citroen community, together with at [the owner’s] house”.
In the meantime in France, the federal government has advised drivers in Corsica and within the nation’s abroad territories, the place the local weather is hotter, to cease utilizing any vehicles of any model fitted with Takata airbags.
The identical instruction applies to autos on the French mainland constructed earlier than 2011. In whole, round 2.5 million vehicles are affected.
Within the UK, the Driver and Automobile Requirements Company mentioned it supported Stellantis’ choice to difficulty a stop-drive recall and was working with the corporate to lift consciousness of the difficulty, however didn’t presently have any plans to order a wider recall.
Homeowners can discover out whether or not their automobile is included within the recall right here.