Carmaker urged to address ‘serious concerns' over mass Citroën recall in UK
In June the car brand's parent company, Stellantis, issued an immediate and rare 'stop-drive' order for certain models because of a potentially fatal airbag safety fault.
The safety alert impacted owners of its Citroën and DS Automobiles-branded cars, with 120,000 vehicles affected in the UK.
In the letter to Eurig Druce, UK group managing director of Stellantis, Alexander said that the 'level of disruption experienced by UK motorists – particularly the most vulnerable – is unacceptable'.
Alexander urged the company to take 'immediate steps' to improve the recall process. This meant ensuring all affected owners are 'provided with viable alternatives', whether through courtesy cars, financial compensation or at-home repairs.
In the letter, first reported by the PA news agency, the minister said the existing arrangements were 'not meeting expectations'. She had received reports from MPs and their constituents that detailed distressing experiences and inadequate support with alternative transport arrangements.
The consumer group Which? recently described Stellantis's handling of the recall as 'chaotic'. It said it had heard from 'many distressed drivers' – including a woman caring for her terminally ill husband who needed to get to hospital appointments – who were incurring significant expenses for hire cars, taxis or insurance fees.
While Stellantis had promised to minimise the burden on consumers the 'execution of this recall has exposed significant gaps in customer support and transparency', Alexander said.
Cars equipped with Takata airbags are being recalled because chemicals in the inflators may deteriorate over time, which could cause the bag to rupture.
No incidents have been reported in the UK, but Stellantis issued the stop-drive order across Europe after a woman in France was killed when her airbag exploded.
Driving a car with a stop-drive recall can invalidate your insurance, and it is illegal for a private seller to sell a car with a recall without disclosing it first.
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Stellantis insisted that Citroën was 'fully engaged' in maximising the daily number of cars that can have their airbags replaced, adding that its Peugeot network is now authorised to also carry out the work.
To date more than 72,000 vehicles have had replacement airbags fitted and Stellantis expects the majority of vehicles to be repaired by the end of September, with any remaining cases handled within weeks.
Stellantis explained that with such a large number of vehicles affected it was 'inevitable' that customers could be inconvenienced in the short term.
'For each and every customer, we discuss options to support mobility. These options include replacement airbags at a dealership or at home, a courtesy car, support for other mobility options and recovery. We give priority to those with the most urgent needs.'
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