Takata Airbags: Citroën requests the immediate immobilization of all C3 and DS3 vehicles in Europe equipped with these airbags
Car manufacturer Citroën called for the immediate grounding of all C3 and DS3 models still equipped with Takata airbags in Europe on Tuesday, June 17, regardless of their production year, following a new death in France, in Reims, on June 11, linked to this faulty equipment.
"Given the current situation, we have decided to put vehicles on 'stop drive' to speed up their handling" and repairs, Citroën's new CEO, Xavier Chardon, told Agence France-Presse, which means the vehicles are immediately immobilized and taken in for repair.
This affects 441,000 Citroën C3 and DS3 vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbags in Europe, including 82,000 in France, in addition to those that had already been immobilized.
Earlier Tuesday, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot ordered the immobilization of all Citroën C3s and DS3s requiring airbag replacements. Until now, some drivers had been asked to replace their airbags, but not to stop using their vehicles.
Following confirmation by Reims prosecutor François Schneider of the 37-year-old woman's death in a 2014 C3, Stellantis stated that it had sent a registered letter to the future victim on May 20. However, the address from the registration documents was incorrect, and the letter was returned to the sender.
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles immobilizedThe Takata airbag scandal has rocked the automotive industry since 2014, forcing many manufacturers to ground hundreds of thousands of vehicles worldwide in order to replace the safety equipment.
Another death linked to a faulty airbag deployment was recorded in Guadeloupe at the end of March. Until this death was announced, the Ministry of Transport had recorded 29 accidents resulting in eleven deaths overseas and one in mainland France.
Due to a gas that degrades over time, humidity and heat, these airbags risk exploding, with the risk of serious or even fatal injuries to drivers and front passengers.
In Guadeloupe, the prefecture launched a vast vehicle recall campaign at the beginning of June, specifying that one in ten vehicles in circulation in the archipelago was "potentially dangerous" due to the presence of these airbags.
A third of vehicles still need to be repairedIn 2024, Citroën asked owners of C3s built between 2008 and 2013 in the south of France to stop driving their vehicles until the airbag was replaced, as part of a procedure called "stop drive" . After a chaotic start, particularly due to a lack of sufficient airbags, appointments continued to be held at dealerships. The measure was extended to the north of France in February 2025.
For models manufactured from 2014 onwards, a dealership recall by simple letter, without "stop drive" , was launched in May 2025. "Our analyses did not show any risk of deterioration beyond 2013" , specified a Stellantis spokesperson.
Nearly a third of the vehicles still need to be repaired: out of more than 690,000 Citroën C3s and DS3s equipped with these faulty airbags in France, 481,000 have been treated, according to the Stellantis automotive group, or 69.7% of the vehicles concerned. "This accident raises the question of the risk analyses carried out by the manufacturer," the ministry said in a press release.
UFC-Que Choisir calls for the creation of a commission of inquiryAfter a long silence from the State on the subject, the Ministry of Transport took initial measures in early 2025 in response to the slowness of the manufacturers. Philippe Tabarot considers this situation "unacceptable and scandalous" and believes, "as it stands, that the company's attitude is not commensurate with the challenges and risks involved."
For UFC-Que Choisir, "this new death is unacceptable and would have been avoided if the necessary measures had been put in place by Stellantis ." UFC-Que Choisir has filed a complaint and requested the creation of a commission of inquiry "so that the malfunctions are identified and responsibilities are fully established," the association told Agence France-Presse.
The Reims prosecutor's office opened an investigation into involuntary manslaughter and then relinquished jurisdiction to the Paris prosecutor's office, which is consolidating the proceedings in the Takata case at the national level.
The World with AFP
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