Urgent ‘stop-drive’ warning issued for Citroen C3 and DS 3 models over potentially fatal airbag risk

Owners of Citroen C3 and DS 3 models built between 2009 and 2019 have been told to stop driving their cars immediately due to safety concerns linked to potentially faulty Takata airbags, Stellantis – the parent company of both brands – has announced.

The stop-drive notice applies to second-generation Citroen C3s and first-generation DS 3s (including the DS 3 Cabrio) built between 2009 and 2019, which may be fitted with potentially dangerous airbags manufactured by the Takata Corporation.

The models affected were already part of a broader recall campaign initiated over a year ago, beginning in Southern Europe and expanding northwards with close to 900,000 cars thought to be affected. However, Stellantis says it has now escalated the issue following further analysis of risk factors, including vehicle age, climate conditions, and international safety guidance.

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While no incidents have been reported in the UK to date, Stellantis said the stop-drive action is being implemented ‘out of an abundance of caution.’ This announcement comes shortly a after woman in Reims, France, was killed when the Takata airbag in her 2014 Citroen C3 exploded.

What to do if you’re affected?

Owners of the affected vehicles are urged to stop using them and check whether their car is included in the recall. This can be done via the official Citroen VIN checker tool and Stellantis has also opened a helpline on 0800 917 9285.

Stellantis is also contacting all known affected customers by letter, but given the urgency of the issue, owners are encouraged to act immediately rather than wait for written notification.

Stellantis isn’t the only manufacturer to have ordered recalls on the potentially lethal Takata airbags, which have been linked to several deaths. Volkswagen, Ford, BMW, Honda and Nissan are just a handful of brands that have issued recalls for the potentially defective airbags, which are estimated to be fitted in over 100 million cars. If you’d like to know if your car has been subject to a recall, the government offers a safety recall service.

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Which cars may be affected by the Takata airbags?

We’ve put together a list of cars that might be at risk from dangerous airbags and shouldn’t be driven until remedial work has been undertaken:

Citroen: C3 (2010-2016), DS3 (2010-2015)
DS: DS 3 (2016-2019)