Citroen urged to fix 'chaotic' recall and pay compensation to affected drivers

Citroen has been told to amended its "chaotic" and "shameful" callback implicit a perchance fatal airbag information fault. 

Consumer champion Which? wants the authorities to intervene if Stellantis, the car brand's genitor company, does not amended the process for fixing the responsibility and offering customers compensation.

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A "stop-drive" callback was issued successful June for each Citroen C3 second-generation and DS 3 first-generation vehicles made betwixt 2009 and 2019 owed to the hazard of the airbag rupturing successful a collision, which tin origin wounded oregon death.

All affected vehicles are expected to beryllium fixed by the extremity of adjacent month.

Customers were told to "immediately cease utilizing their vehicle", but Which? has raised concerns implicit however this connection has been shared.

It says it has spoken to respective distressed drivers, including the parent of a premature babe who needs infirmary attraction and a pistillate caring for her terminally sick husband, who person been near without transport for weeks oregon months and forced to prosecute cars and taxis.

A fewer owners who told Which? they were being offered compensation said they were getting a maximum of £22.50 a time - acold little than the outgo of car prosecute successful astir regions.

Sue Davies, caput of user extortion argumentation astatine Which?, said: "From radical near stranded with nary means of transport, to those paying retired a luck to prosecute cars and taxis, the affectional and fiscal load of this callback has fallen squarely connected those slightest capable to sorb it.

"Stellantis indispensable urgently corroborate it volition wage compensation for alternate transport arsenic good arsenic connection applicable solutions, specified arsenic offering at-home repairs oregon towing affected cars to garages. If not, galore radical volition spot nary alternate but to proceed driving cars that are perchance precise dangerous.

"The authorities needs to measurement successful and clasp them to relationship to guarantee UK consumers person overmuch greater clarity of what they request to bash and what they are entitled to - and are ne'er near successful this presumption again."

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, the authorities assemblage that oversees car information recalls, told Money it was successful interaction with Citroen connected however it is managing the recall.

"We person received reassurances the institution is moving hard to put repairs and minimise disruption for conveyance owners. However, we cognize determination is much that tin beryllium done and we proceed to reenforce their responsibilities nether the codification of practice," it said.

"We impulse each owners of affected vehicles to travel Citroen's advice. To cheque if your conveyance is affected, car owners tin usage the checker connected Citroen's website."

The Department for Transport told Money that Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, and Lilian Greenwood, aboriginal of roads minister, were "actively engaging with manufacturers and manufacture leaders to guarantee immoderate disruption is kept to an implicit minimum".

It added: "We recognize however frustrating these recalls are for those affected. The information of those drivers and their families remains the transport secretary's apical priority."

Stellantis said: "The company's absorption remains connected completing the replacement of airbags successful affected vehicles arsenic swiftly arsenic possible.

"Our Citroen web is afloat engaged successful maximising the fig of cars that tin beryllium completed each time and, to summation our repair capableness adjacent further and minimise arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable the interaction connected customers, our Peugeot web is present authorised to regenerate airbags connected these cars successful summation to at-home options.

"For each and each customer, we sermon options to enactment mobility, recognising that each operator has circumstantial requirements. These options see replacement airbags astatine a dealership oregon astatine home, courtesy car, enactment for different mobility options and recovery. We springiness precedence to those with the astir urgent needs."

If you are unsure if you've been affected by the recall, you tin interaction a Stellantis dealership, which volition cheque for you, oregon sojourn the authoritative callback tract for your circumstantial conveyance brand.