Citroën's parent company has issued a statement amid an urgent recall of some of its cars due to safety concerns.
The vehicles affected are second-generation Citroën C3s produced from 2009 to 2016 and first-generation DS3s manufactured from 2016 to 2019.
The French firm has issued a ‘Stop-Drive’ order after a recent report stated that a woman sustained fatal injuries caused by an airbag in a 2014 Citroën C3 in France last year.
The vehicles use Takata airbag systems, which could be faulty. However, Stellantis UK said that there were no reported incidents of faults in the UK, but it has decided to take action regardless.
Some motorists in North Wales who've received letters notifying them to stop driving their car say the earliest they can book theirs in for repair is September.
After The Leader reported on a Flintshire woman who had received a letter, hundreds of people commented saying they've now been left "stranded" without the use of their car.
One reader said: "I have been advised by my insurance company that I am not covered for driving, only fire and theft, whilst it’s on my drive. No loan vehicle available and 90 minutes on Citroën helpline being told your call is important to us then line goes dead."
Another said: "I've also had one too and the earliest I can get mine booked in is January 2026 - what an absolute joke."
A further commentor said: "Had the letter a few days ago followed by an email from my insurance to say the car isn’t covered to be driven on the road until the repair has been done!
"Asked Citroën for a courtesy car and they told me the garage will supply, garage will only supply one for the day of the work and at a charge of £20."
A spokesperson for Stellantis, Citroën's parent company, said: "The company’s focus is on completing the replacement of airbags in affected vehicles as swiftly as possible. Working hand in hand with our Citroën Retailer Network, we are working to maximise the number of vehicles we can repair every day.
"To increase our repair capacity further, work is ongoing to introduce additional airbag replacement sites at convenient locations as well as repair-at-home options.
"It is inevitable, with such a large number of vehicles affected, that customers will be inconvenienced in the short term. However, we are deploying a variety of options to support mobility, recognising that every driver will have individual requirements, and that priority needs to be given to customers with the most urgent needs."
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Stellantis said customers should check if their vehicle is affected and what actions are advised by using the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) check tool on the Citroën UK website - https://www.citroen.co.uk/maintain/safety-recall-check.html
If impacted, they should register their vehicle to enable the processing of their repair as soon as possible.
Owners can contact the Recall Helpline on 0800 917 9285, Citroën Customer Care on 0800 093 9393 or via its website.
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