Citroën will extend recalls for its Citroën C3 and DS3 models to the rest of Europe due to faulty Takata airbags.
The first wave will begin by the end of January for 98,000 vehicles, including 73,000 in France, Stellantis announced on Tuesday.
Following southern Europe and parts of France, the recall campaign will expand to northern France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Moldova, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Ireland, reaching other European countries in the coming weeks, affecting over 869,000 vehicles, 400,000 of which are in France, the group stated in a press release.
Unlike the first campaign, Stellantis will not require owners to stop driving the vehicles until they are repaired.
"Stellantis has closely monitored the status of C3 and DS3 vehicles (manufactured between 2009 and 2019) with Takata airbags. Based on field tests and sample analysis, the currently available data indicate a significantly lower risk level compared to the southern region. This is why it is a standard campaign and not a stop-drive," explained the manufacturer.
The first wave of this new campaign, which will last until June, was initiated with letters sent from Monday, January 20th, addressing owners of vehicles from 2009 and 2010 first.
"Stellantis prioritises older vehicles in the northern region as the available data show these vehicles need to be addressed first due to the behaviour of chemical components over time," Stellantis explained.
This staggered recall will "take into account the availability of parts and the network’s capacity to perform the repair."
"We will have the number of parts produced for each wave launch, allowing a quick response for our customers," assured Stellantis.
The decision to begin recalls in southern France and Europe was made based on long-term temperature and humidity criteria, the two factors that damage these airbags, the group noted.
Stellantis already repaired the cars of “over 94% of registered customers in southern Europe.”
Around 11:50, Stellantis shares fell 1.40% in Paris, to €12.66. Takata airbags from the now-bankrupt Japanese manufacturer have shaken the automotive sector since 2014, causing several deaths by projecting dangerous parts at the driver’s face due to a gas that ages poorly in hot and humid climates.
Volkswagen, Nissan, and Toyota have also recently launched extensive recalls for Takata airbags without encouraging drivers to stop driving. BMW recalled over 1.7 million vehicles in the United States and China this summer for the same problem.
