How to find out if your car is affected by the Takata airbag scandal?

The Takata airbag scandal does not only concern Citroën; nearly 30 brands are involved. Here’s how to check if your car is affected.

The Takata airbag scandal is resurfacing, affecting about thirty car brands, well beyond Citroën. The Stellantis group has recalled nearly 235,000 vehicles in France, including the Citroën C3 and DS3 models, with “stop drive” alerts urging drivers to cease using the affected vehicles. However, other manufacturers are also implicated in this global scandal.

The Takata airbags, produced by the Japanese manufacturer that filed for bankruptcy in 2017, contain an ammonium nitrate component that can cause abnormal explosions, shooting out dangerous metal shards. According to the Ministry of Transport, this defect has caused at least one death in mainland France and eleven overseas, where climatic conditions worsen the degradation of the component.

Since January 7, the Ministry of Ecological Transition has been publishing an updated list of affected models, covering vehicles sold between 1998 and 2019. Updated on February 14, this list includes brands such as Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen. Among the identified models are the Audi A3 (2006-2013), Tesla Model S (2014-2016), and Volkswagen Golf A6 (2009-2013). Interestingly, the Peugeot brand, a sibling of Citroën, is mostly spared, except for its very niche I-ON model.

Link to check if your vehicle is affected

To find out if your car is affected, consult the dedicated page on the manufacturer’s or Ministry of Transport’s website. You will need to enter the VIN (vehicle identification number), which is available in frame “E” of the vehicle registration document or on the manufacturer’s plate. If your vehicle is affected, make an appointment at a brand’s garage as soon as possible to replace the faulty airbags. This intervention, which is entirely free, generally takes no more than half a day, but wait times are increasing each day.

All involved manufacturers, including Stellantis for Citroën and Opel, must ensure the free replacement of the airbags. For Citroën models, repairs can be carried out at any affiliated garage, without any conditions for previous purchases or maintenance.

In light of the extent of the scandal, it is crucial to check if your car is affected. This simple preventive action can help avoid serious accidents. If you have any doubts, promptly visit your manufacturer’s website to carry out this essential check.

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