12:13 pm, July 9, 2025
Drivers impacted by the recent Citroen and DS airbag recall could be entitled to compensation amid talk of potential group action.
That is according to group litigation specialists Bond Turner, which says that motorists may also qualify for complementary hire cars while their own vehicles are off the road.
Thousands of owners of DS3 and C3 models were told to stop driving their cars immediately on June 20 over faulty airbag fears.
Car Dealer then reported earlier this week that Citroen and DS dealers are now being put under ‘immense pressure’ to fix cars – with some telling customers it could be NEXT YEAR before their cars are fixed.
Bond Turner estimates that around 120,000 motorists have been impacted by the recall, with some delays potentially invalidating drivers’ insurance policies.
The firm’s director, and group claim expert, Rachael Wong now says that Citroen failed to act reasonably despite ‘knowing of issues with the now defunct airbag manufacturer Takata for years.’
‘A vehicle is an essential tool to many in their daily home and/or working life,’ Wong said. ‘The practical reality is that; without a vehicle people cannot continue their daily lives as normal or at the very least, are caused intolerable inconvenience.
‘Citroen and Stellantis have known about the problems around these airbags for many of years – and knew or ought to have known that they would have to recall these vehicles and replace the airbags.
‘They have failed to plan for this eventuality and therefore drivers have now been left without a vehicle, and not knowing when they might be able to drive them again.
‘At the very least the manufacturers involved need to compensate owners for the inconvenience and out of pocket expenses incurred as a result of being restricted from using their cars.
‘We have been approached by drivers who have been told their insurance is no longer valid to drive their vehicles – and they could even be unable to drive the car to their dealership to get a repair. Or, alternatively, are being charged by the dealer to collect the car.
‘Others have said they have been told by the garage that there is shortage of the replacement airbags and so garages are not able to offer a reasonable timeframe for the recall to be dealt with.
‘It is simply unacceptable that the manufacturers of vehicles that contain these airbags have known about these problems for a number of years, but have failed to replace them or arrange non-urgent recalls in the UK before now.’
At present, the recall only impacts C3 and DS3 drivers, but Bond Turner believes more recalls could now follow.
The firm says that the Takata-manufactured airbags ‘were not limited to Citroen and DS’, meaning other brands could now be sweating.
The Stellantis spokesperson said: ‘The company’s focus is on completing the replacement of airbags in affected vehicles as swiftly as possible.
‘Working hand in hand with our Citroen retailer network we are working to maximise the number of vehicles we can repair every day.
‘To increase our repair capacity further, work is ongoing on introducing additional airbag replacement sites at convenient locations as well as repair at home options.
‘It is inevitable, with such a large number of vehicles affected, that customers will be inconvenienced in the short term.
‘However, we are deploying a variety of options to support mobility, recognising that every driver will have individual requirements, and that priority needs to be given to customers with the most urgent needs.’
Customers can check if their car is affected on the Citroen website or phone the recall helpline on 0800 917 9285.
