Citroen has extended an urgent 'stop drive' recall to an additional 10,000 vehicles in the UK, following a previous recall affecting around 96,000 cars in June. The expanded recall now covers certain C3, C4, DS3, DS4, and DS5 models due to a serious fault with the airbag system.
The red-bordered 'code red' letters were sent to affected drivers on August 12. This is the highest level of safety recall, rarely issued in the UK, and comes after a French driver was killed in June when a minor collision caused her airbag to deploy, sending shrapnel into her head.
Motoring experts at Blackcircles have warned drivers to stop driving immediately if they receive such a letter. Jay Kennedy, Content Specialist at Blackcircles, explained: 'A stop drive recall is issued when a vehicle has a defect posing a significant safety risk, requiring owners to stop driving it immediately. These defects are severe, affecting critical systems like airbags, and could lead to serious injury or accidents.'
Blackcircles emphasised that stop-drive recalls are urgent directives, not recommendations. Driving a vehicle under such a recall can result in fines up to £2,500, three penalty points, or even a driving ban. The DVSA enforces these rules strictly.
Stellantis, Citroen's parent company, stated that more than 66,000 C3 and DS3 models have already had replacement airbags fitted. A Citroen spokesperson said: 'We forecast that the majority of customer vehicles will have their new replacement airbags fitted by the end of September, with the remaining cases handled as swiftly as possible.' The expanded recall adds 9,968 vehicles to the total, bringing the number of affected Citroens in the UK to 106,000.
