Do you remember Takata’s very dangerous airbags, the ones we have repeatedly defined as “killer airbags” due to the injuries – sometimes fatal – involving some drivers who were victims of accidents? Citroën joins the many manufacturers involved in this thorny case with one of its best-selling cars, the small car C3. The French manufacturer has in fact started an urgent recall campaign, with a very clear recommendation on the site: immediately stop driving the vehicles involved.
Going more specifically, the recall campaign involves some Citroën C3 and DS Automobiles DS 3 models produced from 2009 to 2019, and no longer marketed today. The French manufacturer does not explicitly talk about numbers, but the recall campaign concerns 497,171 Citroën C3s and 108,601 DS3s, all produced as mentioned from 2009 to 2019.
Customers affected by the recall have already been notified by letter, but it is possible to access the control process directly on the manufacturer’s website. No C3 or DS3 currently on sale is involved in the recall campaign.
However, Citroën drivers could also find themselves having to wait a long time for the replacement
After a successful check, customers will be informed about the steps needed to replace the airbag and, if necessary, some alternative mobility options to meet their individual needs. All of this, of course, at no cost to the vehicle owner.
To the serious problem, however, another could be added: as seen with Volkswagen last year, customers could encounter some difficulties or longer waiting times for the replacement. It’s easy to understand why: due to the airbag scandal, the Japanese company Takata closed due to bankruptcy. This brings additional difficulty to the replacement process. Citroën assures that its technicians are working to resolve these problems as quickly as possible.
Takata’s killer airbag, a nightmare that has been going on since 2008. After almost twenty years people are still dying
The story of Takata’s killer airbags is a story that goes way back: in 2008, in fact, the first malfunctions of Japanese safety devices were highlighted. The problem is to be found in the deterioration of the chemicals present in the inflators, a deterioration that can lead to an explosion that is too strong in the event of an accident. Too strong an explosion which can cause breakage of the device and consequent possible injury to the occupants of the vehicle. Potentially fatal injuries.
In 2013, the NHTSA – the American body that deals with road safety – opened an investigation into Takata airbags, an investigation that led to an immediate recall campaign initially involving 3.6 million cars. It is estimated that, counting all the recall campaigns implemented by the various manufacturers, 67 million cars have been recalled so far. And the account, as seen, is still partial.
In 2015 the recall campaign intensifies, with the addition of new models produced by manufacturers around the world. In 2017, Takata, an automotive giant active since 1933 with around 46,000 employees and 56 factories worldwide, went bankrupt. The NHTSA investigation concludes in 2020, finding that killer airbags caused the deaths of at least 18 U.S. drivers and injured at least 180 other vehicle occupants.
