France recalls thousands of cars with 'dangerous' airbags

Local France

18-02-2025

More than 250,000 vehicles in France are equipped with faulty airbags, which have now been recalled.
These Takata airbags, made by a Japanese manufacturer that went bankrupt in 2017, were built into vehicles made between 1998 and 2019, and are potentially very dangerous.
So far, at least 15 people have died from these airbags exploding and sending metal fragments into the car, French daily Libération reported.
How do I know if my car is affected?
You may have already received a letter informing you that you are affected by the recall campaign.
However, not everyone will have been contacted, so you may need to check if your vehicle is one of those with the dangerous airbags.
More than 150 car models are affected from the following makes; Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroën, Daihatsu, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Jaguar, Jeep, Lancia, Land Rover, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Peugeot, Seat, Skoda, Subaru, Suzuki, Tesla, Toyota and Volkswagen.
A large proportion of the cars affected in France are Citroën C3s and DS3s.
In order to find out if your vehicle is affected, then you need to locate your vehicle identification number, which is 17 characters long. It would be on your vehicle registration document (next to the letter E), or it would be on your driver's dashboard, in your maintenance or warranty booklet, or on the manufacturer's plate on the windscreen.
Then, take this information and look up on your car manufacturer's website if you are affected. For example, here is the page for Citroën.
If this is not possible, you can also try searching the government website ' www.ecologie.gouv.fr/rappel-airbag-takata '. This should include a list and contact details for all the makes and models concerned - the website may be slow to load due to high levels of traffic initially.
Otherwise, French daily Le Parisien has developed a helpful simulator to see if your car might be affected, however the website is behind a paywall.
What happens if my car is on the list?
If you find that your vehicle is on the list, make an appointment with the dealership for your vehicle as soon as possible to get the airbags replaced.
According to the French ministry for ecological transition, this should be free of charge, with your car only held up for 'less than half a day', Le Parisien reported.
If you cannot get the airbag replaced quickly, French authorities recommend you file a report with the Vehicle and Engine Market Surveillance Service at this link. It's possible to get an independent garage to do the work for you, but in this case it would not be free.
If you are worried about driving your car to the garage for repairs, check first to see if the manufacturer has placed your vehicle on a "stop drive" request. If so, contact them to ask about a solution.
What are the risks?
Most of the deadly incidents have taken place in France's overseas territories located in warm climates. It is likely that the humidity and heat could make the airbags in these areas at a greater risk of exploding.