Many French cars were recalled last year because of defective airbags.
Many motorists are unaware of it, but each year a significant number of vehicles are the subject of recall campaigns. Manufacturers never do this willingly and communicate relatively little on this subject, for fear of it harming their reputation, but they have an obligation to do so from the moment the manufacturing defect involves an element inherent to safety. . The year 2023 was no exception to the rule with, according to figures unearthed by largus.fr, more than 2 million vehicles affected by a recall in France. The specialized site makes it clear that this is an estimate, probably a minimum, as some automobile manufacturers try as much as possible to hide the story since it is bad publicity for the brand.
Last year, almost half of known recalls were for a similar defect. In fact, more than a million owners have been invited to have their vehicle inspected by professionals in order to have the same equipment corrected. It was not a question of the engine, as is the case for the famous 1.2 liter PureTech vehicles of the Stellantis group which have already been the subject of numerous recall campaigns, nor of the brakes, but of a failure linked to the airbags. And each time, the safety airbags were manufactured by the same equipment manufacturer. This manufacturer is Takata, a Japanese company specializing in security systems and which has long equipped millions of vehicles across the globe.
Problems with its airbags are not new since they have caused tens of millions of recalls around the world over the last decade. The countless lawsuits against the Japanese firm even ended up causing it to file for bankruptcy in 2017. But many vehicles still in circulation today remain equipped with the Japanese manufacturer’s security systems. Capable of exploding suddenly, projecting fragments onto the driver or passenger, Takata airbags have still caused dozens of deaths around the world. A matter serious enough for manufacturers to remain very vigilant. It is for this reason that Citroën and DS, two French brands belonging to the Stellantis group, are at the origin of the million recalls carried out in France last year.
If you own a second generation C3 or C4, a DS, DS 3 I or DS 4 I, then it is very possible that you have received a letter to have your vehicle checked. This is never pleasant, but it is better to take a quick detour to a garage to have airbags replaced than to risk your life with equipment that is normally supposed to protect it. Airbags in a car primarily serve to provide additional protection to occupants in the event of a collision. When an accident occurs, the airbags deploy quickly to cushion the impact and reduce the risk of serious injuries to the head, torso and upper body. They work by inflating with air or inert gas from a chemical reaction triggered by crash sensors in the car. Nowadays, all cars have airbags.