A massive recall campaign and a discovery that is surprising to say the least for owners of Citroën C3 and DS3 vehicles. Due to an airbag problem on the models in question, released in 2009 and 2019, the company sent a letter to its customers asking them to “immediately stop” driving these cars.
“The safety of our customers is our priority,” explains a Citroën spokesperson contacted by Le Figaro. “In the meantime, we provide mobility solutions to our customers,” assures the latter, who specifies that repairs are covered by the company.
The reason for this recall was the need to replace defective airbags. More precisely, with time and heat, the gas which triggers the airbag “deteriorates”, specifies the spokesperson. “Which can lead to the projection of small parts contained in this same airbag.” For its part, the Rappel Conso site warns that, “the propellant in the driver and passenger airbags can deteriorate over time. In the event of an accident in which the airbags deploy, they could rupture with too much force, injuring the vehicle occupants.”
In total, more than 605,777 vehicles have been recalled in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. In France, there are nearly 247,000 cars. Including 180,764 Citroën C3s and 65,049 DS3s. “These are vehicles that are starting to date and aging can also cause this type of defect,” adds the spokesperson, who recalls that these two generations of models are no longer marketed.