the essential
Several hundred thousand C3s and DS3s are being recalled due to defective airbags that could be triggered at any time. While waiting to have an appointment with the mechanic, it’s a headache.
“At any moment, let us represent it to our imagination. » Citroën C3 ET drivers undoubtedly understand better than anyone Montaigne’s maxim which calls for thinking regularly about the possibility of dying at any moment to de-dramatize death – and live better. Since the beginning of May, the car manufacturer has announced a recall of more than 600,000 cars due to airbags deemed defective. And which can be triggered at any time!
“They told me not to use the car”
“It’s just me who takes it. There are now only one in five people in the family who are in danger of death,” bitterly philosophizes Roxane Martinez, a resident of Saint-Bressou and unfortunate owner of a C3 for 4 years. Like many, she received a registered letter from Citroën more than three weeks ago telling her that her car was indeed one of the vehicles concerned. “I called the special number that was attached in the letter. I was told to contact my local Citroën garage. They told me not to use the car.”
Obviously, not using it is not an option for this mother whose car was mainly used to take her children to school or daycare. “They told me to turn off the airbags and be careful when driving. They have no idea when they will be able to change the airbags,” she reports, completely disappointed.
To overcome the problem, it is the solution of the lesser evil. She lets her husband, a housewife, use his car for the children while she uses the one with faulty airbags to go to work.
Same problem for this Cadurcian grandmother who only has one car. So she decided to take the bus when she had her granddaughter. But when it comes to everyday shopping, it’s more complicated: “We live in constant stress because we have to use it,” says Catherine Auch.
” Thanks for the advice ! »
She also had the right to some curious advice when she went to her Citroën garage: “I was told that I could use my vehicle but that I must not have any accident, that you must avoid bumps, jolts and if it is hot do not ride because it can trigger the airbags. Thank you, really for the advice! I don’t like bumper cars! », Laughs the accountant.
Which must also be somewhat the case for Citroën which is paying the price for the choice of its subcontractor: the Japanese equipment manufacturer Takata. For whom this is not the first disappointment. In 2015, Honda had to launch a recall of 5 million cars. At least 11 deaths are believed to have been caused by faulty airbags.
For his part, Thierry Koskas, the general director of the Citroën brand announced on BFM on May 31: “It is the precautionary principle, as soon as we had confirmation that there could be a risk for customers, our “The first decision was to say ‘stop driving your vehicle,’ he explains. We know it’s very penalizing, but we think of our customers first.” He then indicated that 25,000 cars in France are on their way to dealerships to be loaned to injured customers.
