Can I still drive my Citroën to the garage? Five questions about the recall
More than 33,000 Citroën owners must immediately leave their car at home and have the life-threatening airbags replaced as soon as possible. What now? In this article we answer your questions.
This concerns the airbags in the C3 and DS3 car types that were manufactured between 2009 and 2019. If the airbags deploy in a collision, dangerous metal particles can be shot through the car.
This is extremely dangerous and has already caused several deaths, recently in France. Citroën then decided to call on motorists who have such a car to stop driving them immediately until the problem is solved.
2. No longer driving, how do I get to the garage?That's a bit of a sore point of course. Towing over 33,000 cars that basically drive just as well as yesterday seems a bit excessive. On the other hand, you could just have an accident on the way to the garage.
According to the manufacturer, it is a custom solution: "We advise the customer concerned to contact the authorized brand repairer or brand dealer, to determine in consultation what the best solution is," said a spokesperson for Citroën.
If you take your car on the road, you are basically insured. That makes a difference. "Unless very strange things happen, people are simply covered. In theory, it could be that an insurer finds that someone has been negligent. But then you would have to be able to prove very well that the damage was caused by the defect for which the recall applies, and that someone also knew about it. In practice, that will be very difficult," a spokesperson for the Dutch Association of Insurers told ANP.
You are always covered by your (legally required) third-party liability insurance for any damage you cause to others.
4. How quickly will I be helped?The repair itself takes about an hour, so that's not too bad. But of course there has to be time in the workshop and the airbags have to be in stock. According to Citroën, there is a stock available and it is 'regularly replenished'. "This is our top priority."
The North Holland chain of Citroën dealers, Van Mossel, expects to be able to help all its customers within about ten days.
5. Will I receive compensation?The repair itself is free, of course. But car owners will experience some inconvenience from the recall, especially if they have to leave the car for a week until there is a place. There is no general compensation scheme in any case. The manufacturer also recommends that you consult with the dealer 'to find an adequate solution'.
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