Since 2016, at least 15 people have lost their lives in France due to failures linked to the Takata airbag scandal, including 14 overseas. This is what a survey by the Radio France investigation unit, published this Wednesday, January 8, confirms, which also highlights late vehicle recalls from manufacturers, notably the Stellantis, Peugeot and Citroën brands.
According to information from Radio France, half of these victims drove Citroën C3s, while the others drove other brands: DS, Mazda, Toyota, Ford or Volkswagen. The problem, concerning airbags manufactured by the Japanese Takata (which went bankrupt following the scandal in 2017), has been identified for more than a decade.
Interviewed by Radio France, Christian Grosjean, automotive expert in Switzerland, explains: “The defect of [airbags] Takata is that in addition to ejecting the gas to inflate the airbag cushions, the part bursts. And these pieces of metal that come off can, for example, pierce your eye.” This malfunction is linked to the presence of ammonium nitrate crystals in the airbag capsule. This substance, which transforms into a highly unstable gas, has been the cause of other disasters, such as the explosion of the port of Beirut in 2020 or the AZF factory, near Toulouse, in 2001. The risk is further increased if the vehicle is located in a humid and hot region: typical of most overseas departments.
Multiple alerts
In France, some brands took preventive measures well before Stellantis: Honda began replacing airbags in 2013, followed by Toyota in 2015. Meanwhile, Citroën continued to equip some of its C3 models with Takata airbags. . However, according to information collected by Radio France, the manufacturer had previously received multiple alerts from the authorities about the dangerousness of these airbags and therefore took too long to take radical measures.
Thus, from the end of 2020, Stellantis is warning its overseas importers that it is necessary to change the airbags of several models including the C3 and DS3. “What pushes us to trigger these recalls is the result of the various analyzes that we have carried out by sampling in different areas of the globe which show that the risk is higher in hot and humid areas such as the French Overseas Territories. [départements d’outre-mer]», explains Stéphane Cesareo, communications director for Citroën to Radio France. But the group does not send alarmist reminder letters to drivers.
It was only after the death of a motorist in the Hautes-Pyrénées, in November 2023, that Stellantis announced an exceptional measure, on May 17, 2024. The manufacturer sent a so-called “stop drive” letter to 600,000 owners of C3 and DS3 in around twenty countries, asking them to immediately stop using their vehicle due to the mortal danger involved.
Did he take too long to do it? For Charles-Henri Coppet, lawyer for the Advairbag association, which brings together French victims and their relatives, only one “a single investigation could provide more solid answers for victims.”
