Drivers risking lives over dud airbag replacements

Car-owners in Cyprus have been facing the dilemma of putting their lives at risk by driving a car with potentially deadly airbags or leaving their vehicles parked as weeks turn into months with no date for free replacements.

As part of a worldwide recall campaign, that started in 2020, Citroen C3 and DS3 owners in Cyprus were urged to make appointments for the immediate replacement of their faulty Takata airbags.

Peter, an owner of a Citroen C3 in Paralimni, received a letter from Citroen Cyprus last year, saying his car was subject to a recall due to a faulty airbag and that he would be contacted about arrangements to replace it.

“The chemicals in these Takata airbag inflators may deteriorate over time. This may cause some inflators to rupture with too much force in a crash, capable of causing serious injury or death in a worst-case scenario,” a letter from Geo. Pavlides & Araouzos said.

The company recommended making an appointment to get his car’s airbags replaced for free.

In the meantime, in January 2024, Citroen changed hands.

On June 6, 2024, Peter received another letter saying he must stop driving his car immediately, as he ran the risk of serious injury or death.

“…we ask you to stop driving your vehicle immediately,” the letter, now from CIC Automasters – the authorised distributor of Peugeot, Citroen and Opel in Cyprus – read.

A phone number was also provided for customers to make an appointment to replace the airbags.

The Cyrpus Mail called the number and entered an infinite loop, being redirected to various desks in different buildings before being given the original number to try again.

Peter called the number back in June and was told there was a three-week delay. He was asked to leave his details – which he did – and has not heard back.

“Since then, when in theory I should have left my car in the drive and rented – financially impossible – I’ve heard nothing. And emails to CEO Stellantis, CEO Stellantis customer service Europe and Citroen Cyprus have not even acknowledged receipt,” Peter told the Cyprus Mail.

The Cyprus Mail sent an email to CIC Automasters with a number of questions.

The central service department of CIC Automasters replied, saying the models affected were Citroen C3 and DS3 and that the vehicle identification numbers had been forwarded to the company by the manufacturer.

CIC Automasters also said “no delay was observed in the procedure our company is following” and that the replacement of faulty airbags “depends on the response of the owners.”

The company also said it was requesting owners to stop driving their cars based on instructions received from the manufacturer.

Asked how owners would be compensated for the loss of use of their vehicles, CIC Automasters said “our company is not the manufacturing company, but a recently appointed official distributor.”

“The information we have is that no such option is provided by the manufacturer,” it added.

Owners who have not yet received dates for recalls, should try again by making an appointment with their closest Citroën/DS authorised dealer or authorised auto repair shop.