Faced with the PureTech and AdBlue scandals, Stellantis launches a reimbursement platform

The automotive group Stellar announced, having launched a retroactive compensation platform for customers who had problems with the PureTech engine between 2022 and 2024. The approach aims to regain customer trust.

This dedicated platform “allows our customers who have paid an invoice between 2022 and 2024 for PureTech motors who have experienced belt problems or excess oil consumption to be reimbursed,” a Stellantis spokesperson told AFP, Thursday January 16, 2025.

For expenses between January 1, 2022 and March 18, 2024

This additional compensation measure will cover expenses incurred between January 1, 2022 and March 18, 2024 for PureTech 1.0 and 1.2 of previous generations, following certain maintenance and diagnostic conditions recommended by the brands Citroën, DS Automobiles, Opel/Vauxhall et Peugeot.

In March 2024, Stellantis extended the warranty on these PureTech engines, developed by PSA (Peugeot-Citroën), due to excessive oil consumption and/or premature degradation of the timing belt, covering 100% of costs for up to 10 years or 175,000 kilometers for parts and labor, under certain conditions.

The platform which constitutes “a tool retroactive so that we can reimburse people” is “a first” in the industry, adds the spokesperson.

AdBlue tanks also affected

The same platform will also allow customers who have incurred fees on AdBlue tanks to request compensation, underlined Stellantis which will communicate on Friday on the details.

A urea-based product, AdBlue eliminates a large part of the harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from the exhaust gases of diesel cars. Due to the crystallization of AdBlue, many motorists have had to carry out expensive repairs.

The platform, accessible at the following address, will allow customers to submit their file. Its implementation will be carried out in a staggered manner, starting with the evaluation of complaints from pre-selected customers in France and Spain.

Start of evaluation by the end of February 2025

Requests from all customers from European countries will start to be evaluated gradually by the end of February 2025.

The group is not communicating at this stage the number of cars that could be affected, nor the cost of the operation. This information will be revealed during the next financial results.

Like other giants in the sector, Stellantis, which experienced a 12% drop in its vehicle volumes delivered in 2024, is going through a difficult pass after years of record profits since its founding in 2021 with the merger of PSA (Peugeot-Citroën) and Fiat-Chrysler.

Source: AFP.

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