Citroen has been told to improve its “chaotic” and “shameful” recall over a potentially fatal airbag safety fault.
Consumer champion Which? wants the government to intervene if Stellantis, the car brand’s parent company, does not improve the process for fixing the fault and offering customers compensation.
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A “stop-drive” recall was issued in June for all Citroen C3 second-generation and DS 3 first-generation vehicles made between 2009 and 2019 due to the risk of the airbag rupturing in a collision, which can cause injury or death.
All affected vehicles are expected to be fixed by the end of next month.
Customers were told to “immediately cease using their vehicle”, but Which? has raised concerns over how this message has been shared.
It says it has spoken to several distressed drivers, including the mother of a premature baby who needs hospital treatment and a woman caring for her terminally ill husband, who have been left without transport for weeks or months and forced to hire cars and taxis.
A few owners who told Which? they were being offered compensation said they were getting a maximum of £22.50 a day – far less than the cost of car hire in most regions.
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, said: “From people left stranded with no means of transport, to those paying out a fortune to hire cars and taxis, the emotional and financial burden of this recall has fallen squarely on those least able to absorb it.
“Stellantis must urgently confirm it will pay compensation for alternative transport as well as offer practical solutions, such as offering at-home repairs or towing affected cars to garages. If not, many people will see no alternative but to continue driving cars that are potentially very dangerous.
“The government needs to step in and hold them to account to ensure UK consumers have much greater clarity of what they need to do and what they are entitled to – and are never left in this position again.”
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, the government body that oversees car safety recalls, told Money it was in contact with Citroen on how it is managing the recall.
“We have received reassurances the company is working hard to arrange repairs and minimise disruption for vehicle owners. However, we know there is more that can be done and we continue to reinforce their responsibilities under the code of practice,” it said.
“We urge all owners of affected vehicles to follow Citroen’s advice. To check if your vehicle is affected, car owners can use the checker on Citroen’s website.”
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The Department for Transport told Money that Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, and Lilian Greenwood, future of roads minister, were “actively engaging with manufacturers and industry leaders to ensure any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum”.
It added: “We understand how frustrating these recalls are for those affected. The safety of those drivers and their families remains the transport secretary’s top priority.”
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Stellantis said: “The company’s focus remains on completing the replacement of airbags in affected vehicles as swiftly as possible.
“Our Citroen network is fully engaged in maximising the number of cars that can be completed every day and, to increase our repair capacity even further and minimise as much as possible the impact on customers, our Peugeot network is now authorised to replace airbags on these cars in addition to at-home options.
“For each and every customer, we discuss options to support mobility, recognising that every driver has specific requirements. These options include replacement airbags at a dealership or at home, courtesy car, support for other mobility options and recovery. We give priority to those with the most urgent needs.”
If you are unsure if you’ve been affected by the recall, you can contact a Stellantis dealership, which will check for you, or visit the official recall site for your specific vehicle brand.
