Abertillery woman left without a car after Citroen recall
She owns a 2016 Citroën DS3, one of the models caught up in the Takata airbag recall crisis. Since being told on June 30 not to drive her car, she's faced confusion, delays, and a complete lack of support.
'We've all been left in the dark," she said. "You can't get information and appointments to do the repair are just cancelled. We're all told contradictory things.
'It would be nice to know why the recall happened. I have asked and had no reply. Was it caused by an accident or are airbags just exploding as the car is being driven? It's vital that we know the answer to these questions.'
Her recent appointment at Newport's Spellantis Garage was cancelled, and the garage refused to fit a Citroën C1 airbag to her DS3, despite two other dealers confirming this is possible, Suzanne said.
With no courtesy car, no recovery van, Suzanne can't get to work and wonders how she will get her car to the garage.
Police have begun actively checking drivers of certain Citroën and DS vehicles affected by the Takata airbag recall. Around 120,000 cars are affected.
Parkers has reported the recall was triggered by a fatal accident in France involving a 2014 Citroën C3, where the airbag exploded, firing metal fragments into the cabin. Takata airbags are known to degrade over time, especially in humid or hot conditions.
Parkers, one of the UK's leading automotive websites, has experienced difficulty in contacting Stellantis' recall line. They further report that one dealer never answered, while another offered a cancellation slot in mid-August. Regular bookings are now stretching into October and beyond.
Suzanne has said people in Gwent are chattering about slots in January. Stellantis has now authorised Peugeot dealers to carry out repairs to help ease the backlog.
One dealer mentioned that the RAC is offering mobile repairs via citroenrecall.rac.co.uk, though availability continues to remain unclear.
If you own one of the affected Citroën or DS models, do not drive the car if advised not to. Risk of injury or death from a faulty airbag is real.
Suzanne, who works as a carer, said: 'I want my car and clear answers. I can't afford a hire car and I can't get to work. I'm eft in the dark and no one will speak about what's going on. They've got to sort this out.'
Parkers advise staying persistent with dealers or Stellantis customer service. Clarify your insurance status if you've received a stop-drive notice and never assume you are covered.
Stellantis says dealers are under pressure, with repairs delayed until 2026 due to limited airbag supply and high demand. They say they are prioritising vehicles based on risk factors and expanding operations across their network: 'Stellantis remains fully committed to acting swiftly, transparently, and responsibly.'
Meanwhile, Citroën urges drivers of affected vehicles to stop driving and check details at VIN at citroen.co.uk.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Citroen extends 'chaotic' stop-drive order to another 10,000 UK cars
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We have spoken to tens of affected owners who have blasted the company for failing to resolve the issue sooner, not provided courtesy cars or compensation towards additional travel costs, refusing to provide clear communication, and essentially leaving them stranded with no essential transport to get to work and hospital appointments until repairs can be carried out. Even this week, we've heard from impacted customers who've had recall bookings with garages cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice, which has been blamed on a lack of available parts to complete repairs. While the Daily Mail has been assured by Stellantis that all C3 and DS3 models will be rectified by the 'end of September', another 9,968 UK drivers will not be so lucky. These are the owners of C4, DS4 and DS5 models built between 2010 and 2019 that have officially been added to the stop-drive recall this week. 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'The 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, the Peugeot network is now authorised to replace airbags on these cars in addition to at-home options.' With the additional models now added, the total number of Citroens impacted is 106,000. To date, Stellantis claims that 'more than 66,000' C3 and DS3 models have had their replacement airbags fitted. This suggests that more than two thirds of C3 and DS3 models are now roadworthy and legal to drive on the road. However, the Daily Mail is still receiving a high volume of emails from readers who say they are still waiting for their vehicles to be fixed. Some have yet to be given a repair date at all. 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Having eventually secured a repair booking for 8 August, she was delivered a fresh blow less than 24 hours earlier when the dealer informed her the appointment had been cancelled due to 'unavailability of parts'. She is now having to pay additional costs to travel to work and hasn't received a new repair date. 'I can't afford a rental vehicle and I have no one to turn to. This has affected my life completely,' she told the Daily Mail. 'If I leave it up to Citroen to resolve, I will be in debt. I've called Citroen so many times. They promise to contact me in regard to a substitute car until mine is sorted, but it's just false promises. 'I called the garage that is due to replace the airbag to ask when it will be done. They haven't rebooked me a slot and tell me they don't know when it will be fixed. 'I don't really know what to do or where to turn.' Martin Bradley from East Yorkshire told us weeks ago that he had originally been quoted a booking date of January 2026 by Evan Halshaw Citroen in Hull, though this was fast-tracked to 4 August. He then received a call from the dealership on 1 August telling him the repair could not be completed because the dealer 'had no parts'. He's since been told this week that he can have his DS3 fixed sooner if he agrees to have an airbag unit fitted with a Citroen logo rather than the DS emblem that should appear on the steering wheel of his specific model. Stellantis has confirmed that Citroen C4 models produced between 2010 and 2011 are now subject to the stop-drive order. 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BBC News
16 hours ago
- BBC News
c23p028p200o (GIF Image, 1 × 1 pixels)
Theo Leggett International Business Correspondent BBC A gleaming white Vivaro van drove slowly off the production line at Vauxhall's factory in Luton, beeping its horn, while workers cheered and crowded around taking photographs. Behind it, the production line came to a halt – forever. The Luton plant began building cars in 1905. It kept operating for the next 120 years, taking time out to build tanks and aircraft engines during World War Two. But on 28 March, that came to an end. The factory shut down, a victim of cutbacks at Vauxhall's parent company, Stellantis. Justin Nicholls, a production shift manager, was one of the 1,100 workers there - he had worked at the plant for 38 years. "It was devastating, because it came out of the blue", he says. "It was a complete surprise." It followed the closure of Honda's car factory in Swindon in 2021, and Ford's engine plant in Bridgend the year before. Together, they have come to symbolise an apparent long-term decline in the UK motor industry. Daily Herald/Mirrorpix via Getty Images Vauxhall's Luton plant has been building cars since 1905 until production stopped earlier this year In all, just 417,000 new cars and vans were built in the UK in the first six months of 2025, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) - the lowest for that period since 1953. Output for the year is expected to be around 755,000 vehicles — lower even than during the Covid-19 pandemic. The SMMT's chief executive, Mike Hawes, described the situation as "depressing". The sector contributes some £22bn a year to the economy, according to the SMMT, and as recently as 2023 automotive manufacturing employed some 198,000 people in the UK. Andy Palmer, who was previously chief executive of Aston Martin, believes the ecosystem - and the sum it contributes to the economy - can only survive if the industry maintains its current scale. 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Adam Vaughan/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images One of the UK's leading manufacturers, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has deliberately moved upmarket in recent years, meaning it now sells fewer cars - also contributing to the lower figure of UK car production "Obviously, Brexit had a big impact", says Santiago Arieu, senior autos research analyst at Fitch Solutions. "It created uncertainty and complicated future visibility." As a result, experts say new investment suffered – just as the industry was gearing up for the massive changes being brought by the transition to electric vehicles. The agreement with the EU to guarantee continued tariff-free trade soothed the industry's concerns when it came. But by then, there was another challenge to contend with. The pandemic caused havoc within the industry globally. In 2020, output dropped by nearly a third, hitting levels not seen since the mid-1980s. It also threw finely tuned global supply chains out of kilter and created shortages of vital parts. Although demand for new cars was spiking, manufacturers simply couldn't build them quickly enough. Reuters/ Chris Radburn 'Losing these good quality jobs would have a big impact in terms of wages for workers and also a knock-on effect in terms of the multiplier on the local economy,' says one expert All of this caused short-term disruption - but the impact concealed a deeper, structural problem for the UK industry. Quite simply, it has become an expensive place to build cars. Part of this is to do with labour costs. Although lower than in some other Western European countries, particularly Germany, they are around twice the level seen in Central European nations such as Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Then, there are energy costs. British manufacturers currently pay some of the highest electricity prices in the world. 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One way of mitigating this is for businesses to diversify - something more viable for smaller businesses in the sector. Burnett's Manufacturing, based in Northampton, is one of many automotive suppliers clustered around the Midlands Corridor. A manufacturer of specialist rubber and plastic parts, it relies on the motor industry for about 40% of its business. But it also provides components for shipbuilders and oil and gas firms. According to technical sales manager, Rich Dixon, smaller companies are more flexible and able to adapt to changing circumstances. "I think we're lucky in some ways, because 60% of our business is diversified across many different industries," he says. "The last thing you want to be is 100% automotive. "The difficulty is that higher up the food chain, there are some big companies that are very reliant on automotive." Yang Dong/VCG via Getty Images Chinese giants such as Dongfeng want to expand their international operations Some argue there is another way forward. Chinese giants such as Chery Group and Dongfeng want to expand their international operations – and see the transition to electric vehicles as an opportunity to do this in the European market. "If you embrace the move to electric vehicles and become a leading light in attracting Chinese investment, then you can do what China did to us in the past, which is essentially use collaboration to rebuild your industry," argues Andy Palmer, who now owns and invests in clean energy companies. This would, he adds, require significant government action, including negotiations with Beijing. The question is, is it already too late? One senior executive, who has spent decades in the European industry, doesn't believe the UK will become a major player in the EV market. "I don't think governments have spent the necessary time and energy preparing for the shift to EVs. Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images The UK is home to a number of luxury car firms, such as Bentley "I don't see much opportunity for new players to come in," says the executive, who asked not to be named. "It's all about encouraging those who are already here to stay, and if possible to expand." Another option, Felipe Munoz believes, is that the UK could double down on its position as a key player in the market for high-end cars. This could mean becoming a hub for the production of luxury Chinese designs, while allowing cheaper mass-market models to be built elsewhere. "I think people globally are willing to pay a premium for a British-made luxury car," adds Prof Bailey. The Great British 'brain drain' There is plenty at stake here, and it goes beyond the impact on local communities when factories are lost or suppliers stop trading. "I also worry about it in terms of impacts on productivity, exports, and research and development," says Prof Bailey. "Part of the reason why we've got poor productivity performance in the UK is that we have allowed too much manufacturing to go." This is where we differ from our European counterparts, argues Steve Fowler, EV editor for The Independent. "We tend not to support our homegrown industries in the same way that other countries do". What is harder to assess is the loss of national prestige. When MG Rover collapsed in 2005, there was an outcry, not just because thousands lost their jobs, but also because it was perceived as a symbol of the wider decline of British industry. This became even more marked when MG – a classic British brand – became a boutique badge for cars made in China. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'The UK is a great place to make cars, we have incredible expertise' Many of the upmarket brands that still build cars in this country deliberately trade on their British identity. Think of Rolls Royce, Bentley, McLaren and Lotus. Even BMW-Mini, a mass market manufacturer, is more than willing to wave the Union Jack – or rather, have it painted on door mirrors and roofs. If those cars were no longer built in Britain, it might well be perceived as a national humiliation. And for some, the decline of the auto industry would almost certainly be perceived as a symptom of a much wider loss. "I do think people are [becoming] much more aware of where things are made," argues Mr Fowler. "This isn't necessarily a nationalistic thing, but more a sustainability thing. Do you want your car to have travelled halfway around the world to reach you?" Ultimately, he says, there is already "a bit of a brain drain of talent, because the opportunities, bluntly, aren't here in the UK. "[But] the UK is a great place to make cars, we have incredible expertise, we have some of the best engineers and people who can build them better than anybody else." Top image credit: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images BBC InDepth is the home on the website and app for the best analysis, with fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions and deep reporting on the biggest issues of the day. And we showcase thought-provoking content from across BBC Sounds and iPlayer too. You can send us your feedback on the InDepth section by clicking on the button below.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Car fire safety recall hits 28 different models including Fiat, Peugeot and Vauxhall - is YOURS at risk?
Car giant Stellantis is embroiled in a new safety recall that impacts tens of thousands of UK motors across seven different brands. It comes after the vehicle maker has already told almost 100,000 Citroen owners in Britain to stop driving their cars immediately due to potentially lethal airbags installed in some older models. This month, it has issued a separate call back for 72,000 UK cars linked to a potential engine fire risk. It has confirmed that 28 models from popular makes including Alfa Romeo, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and Vauxhall are affected. It impacts mostly mild-hybrid cars with the 1.2-litre petrol engine produced between 2023 and 2025. This includes incredibly popular models, like Vauxhall's Corsa, Astra, Grandland X and Mokka, Peugeot's 208, 2008, 3008 and 5008, as well as seven different Citroen motors. You can read the full list below. Stellantis has insisted the latest recall is 'voluntary' and owners of these cars can continue to drive them until they are repaired, though should book them in with their nearest garage at the earliest convenience. The latest recall is unrelated to the 'stop-drive' order issued to owners of Citroen C3 and DS3 cars at the end of June, which Stellantis is still currently trying to manage while juggling this new call back. Why are 72,000 Stellantis cars being recalled? This latest safety recall is linked to a potential risk with the high-pressure fuel pipe in models produced between 2023 and 2025 with the 1.2-litre petrol engine mostly in mild-hybrid variants. This powertrain is shared across various models in Stellantis' range. The risk of loose nuts securing the pipe has been identified and could potentially lead to leaks, and, 'in a worst-case scenario', fire in the engine bay, the car giant states. The recall is voluntary - meaning the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency hasn't forced Stellantis' hand to resolve the issue - and has been prompted by 11 reported cases of cars catching fire in France. The 2008 is among the eight different Peugeot models caught up in the latest Stellantis safety recall. The car giant says the call back is voluntary A Stellantis spokesman told the Daily Mail: 'Having customer safety and satisfaction at the core of its values, Stellantis is voluntarily recalling an estimated 72,000 in the UK due to a potential issue with the high-pressure fuel pipe. 'Some 2023-2025 Peugeot, Citroen, DS Automobiles, Vauxhall, Alfa Romeo, Jeep and Fiat vehicles may face fuel leakage at the high-pressure pipe between the high-pressure pump and the rail due to loosened nuts. 'This can potentially lead to higher fuel leakage consumption and, in a worst-case scenario, to occurrences of fire in the engine.' They added: 'Stellantis already started the proactive outreach to vehicle owners, asking them to contact the dealer network to schedule an appointment. 'The rework consists of retightening the nut connections on the high-pressure pipe and the screws of the rail. It takes less than half an hour and is free of charge.' Drivers have been told that they can contact their local dealer through Stellantis' website or by phone. Which 28 UK models are impacted? As previously stated, only cars with the 1.2-litre petrol engine produced between 2023 and 2025 are affected. This powertrain is sold in a various Stellantis-built motors across seven brands in total. Most of these are mild-hybrid variants. Some of the 28 cars are so new that few - or even no - UK owners have taken delivery of the cars yet. This includes the likes of the latest Peugeot 3008 and 5008, Vauxhall Frontera, Alfa Romeo Junior and Fiat Grande Panda. The models impacted are as follows: Owners of these cars should receive a recall notice letter through the post informing them that they need to have the nuts attaching the high-pressure fuel pipe retightened by a dealer garage. However, owners of models listed above can also use each brands' online recall checker to identify if their vehicles needs to be fixed - and who to contact. Owners of these cars should receive a recall notice letter through the post informing them that they need to take their car to a franchised dealer's garage to have the issue resolved for free My car has been recalled - can I still drive it? In short, yes, owners can continue to drive their cars even with a safety recall issued. However, they must book an appointment with their nearest garage with availability to carry out the repair free of charge at the earliest opportunity. Failure to act on a safety recall could land you in hot water. The AA states that owners are responsible for maintaining their cars are in a safe and roadworthy condition - and by ignoring a safety recall, they could be deemed to be 'using a defective vehicle'. Drivers who fail to book a recall slot with a garage can be 'fined up to £2,500, banned from driving and get three penalty points for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition', the DVSA states. It can also affect any insurance claim you might make too. 'Act promptly so you don't put yourself or others at risk, and follow the manufacturer's instructions,' the AA states. Jeep, which is also owned by Stellantis, is also impacted. The Avenger Hybrid 1.2 is subject to the safety recall The Fiat Panda is due to arrive in the UK shortly. The new hybrid versions should have had the recall work carried out before being delivered to customers Fire risk recall separate to 'stop-drive' order for lethal airbag replacements The latest Stellantis recall is unrelated to the 'stop-drive' order issued by the car maker in June that the Daily Mail has covered extensively over the last two months. Owners of Citroen C3 and DS3 cars produced between 2009 and 2019 were told to stop driving their vehicles 'immediately' on 20 June due to the Takata airbags installed during production potentially becoming lethal. This means they have been forced to park up their cars, irrelevant of whether they are reliant on them to get to work and back or for other vital daily tasks, such as grocery shopping and hospital appointments. The 'stop-drive' notice - the highest 'code red' recall for vehicles - was issued shortly after a woman was killed in France when a minor collision triggered the airbag in her C3. The faulty airbag sent shards of metal and shrapnel into her head and body, causing fatal injuries. The stop-drive order has caused a huge headache not just for Citroen and its parent company but tens of thousands of UK drivers. Some 96,000 are estimated to have been told to park up their vehicles indefinitely until they can be repaired. Hundreds have contacted the Daily Mail to tell us the difficulties this has caused them, with Stellantis unable to provide courtesy cars to all those impacted and only offering a small daily compensation allowance to certain individuals facing high alternative travel costs. Stellantis has assured the Daily Mail that all repairs will be completed by the end of September, which means owners could be without their vehicles for over three months in total.
