Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has told the UK boss of car manufacturer Stellantis she has “serious concerns” about the impact on drivers from its recall of cars.
The company announced an immediate and rare “stop-drive” order for certain models on June 20 because of a potentially fatal airbag safety fault.
In the UK this is affecting owners of its Citroen and DS Automobiles-branded cars, with many facing several weeks off the road because of difficulties having the issue rectified.
In a letter seen by the PA news agency, Ms Alexander wrote to Eurig Druce, UK group managing director of Stellantis, calling for “immediate steps” to improve the recall process.
This included ensuring all affected owners are “provided with viable alternatives” – whether through courtesy cars, financial compensation or at-home repairs – as existing arrangements are “not meeting expectations”.
She wrote: “I am writing to you to express serious concerns about the customer impact of the stop-drive recall currently affecting Citroen and DS Automobiles cars in the United Kingdom.
“While I acknowledge and commend the pace at which Stellantis has initiated and progressed the recall programme, I must make clear that the level of disruption experienced by UK motorists – particularly the most vulnerable – is unacceptable.
“I have received numerous reports from Members of Parliament and their constituents detailing distressing experiences, lack of clear guidance, and inadequate support for alternative transport arrangements.”
The Cabinet minister added that the recall has “exposed significant gaps in customer support and transparency”, and while Stellantis has conveyed its intentions to minimise the burden on consumers, this has “not been the experience for many of those affected”.
Models 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.
This affected 120,000 vehicles in the UK.
Stellantis said in a statement Citroen is “fully engaged” in maximising the daily number of cars that can have their airbags replaced, and its Peugeot network is now authorised to also carry out the work.
It added: “It is inevitable, with such a large number of vehicles affected, that customers could be inconvenienced in the short term.
“For each and every customer, we discuss options to support mobility, recognising that every driver has specific requirements.
“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.
“To date, more than 72,000 vehicles have had their new replacement airbags fitted.
“We forecast that the majority of customer vehicles will have their new replacement airbags fitted by the end of September, with the remaining cases handled as swiftly as possible within the coming weeks.”
Citroen advised customers to check if their vehicle is affected and what actions are advised by using the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) check tool on the Citroen UK website at https://www.citroen.co.uk/maintain/safety-recall-check.html.
Consumer group Which? has described the issue as a “major upheaval” for owners who relied on their cars and had no alternative options.
It said earlier this month it has heard from “many distressed drivers”, including the mother of a premature baby who needed regular hospital visits, and a woman caring for her terminally ill husband who needed to get to life-extending hospital appointments and was incurring significant expenses for hire cars, taxis or insurance fees.
Others told Which? they have had no choice but to keep on driving despite the risks.
Some owners reported being told they would receive a maximum of £22.50 in compensation per day, which the watchdog said was far below the cost of car hire in most regions.
