8:17 am, January 7, 2026
Car dealers are facing legal threats from ‘ambulance-chasing’ consumers who are still trying to benefit from the stop-drive notice issued by Stellantis last year.
That is according to automotive law firm Lawgistics, which has described a number of recent claims as ‘speculative at best’.
It comes after as many as 130,000 vehicles were forced off the road last summer after Stellantis was forced to recall models due to faulty airbags.
The issue initially impacted Citroen C3 and DS3 models before being expanded to C4, DS4 and DS5 cars in August, placing major strain on the Citroen dealer network.
Retailers from sister brand Peugeot were even called in to help clear the backlog but experts from Lawgistics say that cases are still coming forward.
The firm has now encouraged dealers to be on their guard against spurious claims from consumers who have ‘absolutely no issues with their vehicle’.
Writing on the Lawgistics website, Nona Bowkis, the firm’s head of legal services, said: ‘Dealers are receiving template-style claims from consumers with no actual vehicle issues following the Stellantis stop/drive notice.
‘DVSA guidance still says pass the MOT with a manual advisory, so most of these demands look speculative, but don’t ignore them.
‘Some months after Stellantis issued a stop/drive notice, dealers are still receiving what we would describe as “ambulance-chasing” claims from consumers who purchased one of the vehicles listed as part of the notice.
‘To be clear, these are consumers who have had absolutely no issues with their vehicle. Some are trying to claim against vehicles they purchased five years ago and have been happily and safely driving ever since.
‘Whilst, at Lawgistics, we have not received any follow-ups to the letters we have written on behalf of clients in defence of these claims, we are hearing multiple reports of dealers being sent follow-up threats of court action.’
Bowkis says that any dealers who receive claim should contact Lawgistics immediately and pointed to current DVSA guidelines as a potential safety net for retailers.
She added: The DVSA’s official advice to MOT testers (MOT special notice 03-25) remains to pass any vehicles listed in the notice and to issue a “manual advisory” with the following text: “This vehicle has an outstanding recall. Contact Citroën for information and to arrange a free repair.”
‘As the DVSA is the government agency with responsibility for ensuring that drivers and vehicles meet stringent safety standards, and is the body responsible for monitoring recalls, we would suggest that these claims are speculative at best.
‘That is not to say there may not be arguments in some cases, which may explain why some dealers are being pursued. Dealers should still take proper legal advice on receipt of a potential claim to avoid exposure to outrageous credit-hire costs.
‘If you receive one of these letters, speak to our legal team via the Lawgistics telephone helpline or casework service before you respond.’
You can read the full update here.
