Vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbags still equip more than 500,000 vehicles around the world. This safety equipment is the cause of a death in Reunion. A new communication campaign begins this Monday by the prefecture. The manufacturer Stellantis is on the front line, but also 24 other manufacturers.
Laurent Figon / Laurent Pirotte
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Published on January 20, 2025 at 1:26 p.m.,
updated January 20, 2025 at 5:08 p.m.
Vehicles equipped with Takata airbags produced between 1998 and 2019 must be recalled by dealers. This equipment is defective, particularly in tropical areas. A recall campaign is launched this Monday by the prefecture of Reunion Island.
Motorists are advised to check the vehicle identification number. This is a number unique to each vehicle made up of 17 characters. It is present on the registration document, next to the letter E, on the dashboard on the driver's side, on the maintenance booklet or the manufacturer's plate on the windshield. From this number, you must go to the website of the Ministry of Ecology and search by the 24 brands offered.
The brands concerned are: Audi, BMW, Cadillac and Chevrolet, Chrysler, Citroën, Cupra, DS, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Jeep, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Seat, Skoda, Suzuki, Toyota and Volkswagen.
-On September 20, 2021, Emmanuelle Sauger died in a road accident. The front of the vehicle is barely damaged, but the passenger compartment is full of metal parts. The gendarmes, during the blatant investigation, supported by the autopsy report, will demonstrate that it was the triggering of the defective airbags of his DS3 which was the cause of his death. The investigation is still in progress.
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©Laurent Pirotte
In 9 years, 14 people have lost their lives overseas due to this defective airbag. The family of the young mother of two children is still awaiting explanations and apologies from the Stellantis group, which manufactures the Citroëns in question, and from the Caillé group, the brand's dealer in Reunion. But the procedure is still in progress and is likely to be long. Emmanuelle's family hopes for indictments and for a judgment to finally be rendered to determine the responsibilities of each party. The Takata company went bankrupt 8 years ago now.
Watch the report from Réunion la 1ère:
On September 20, 2021, Emmanuelle Sauger lost her life due to defective Takata airbags. An information campaign on defective Takata airbags resumes today.
