THOUSANDS of Brit drivers face an immediate £2,500 fine and three penalty points on their licence if they ignore an official letter from the DVSA.
Some 168,000 owners of Citroen C3 and DS3 models have received letters instructing them not to drive their motors due to a critical airbag issue.
Multiple Citroen models have been included in a global recall[/caption]
Thousands of UK drivers have been instructed not to drive their motors[/caption]
These cars, specially built between 2009 and 2019, have been found to have a dangerous fault with their airbag.
This important safety feature, made by the now defunct Japanese company Takata, can deteriorate over time and, if triggered, could even explode – sending metal fragments into the car.
To that end, affected owners have been told not to drive their cars until repairs are carried out which, if ignored, sees them risk a fine of up to £2,500, three penalty points on their licence and possibly even a driving ban.
Authorities are able to identify affected cars using registration numbers and recall databases, meaning owners cannot easily claim ignorance or avoid responsibility.
The issue, though, is exacerbated by owners reportedly facing long waiting times for repairs – potentially leaving them without their main mode of transport for months.
According to BBC presenter Louise Minchin, who heads Rip Off Britain, some drivers have also found it hard to get courtesy cars from insurers, while others have experienced dealers refusing to repair without being paid or there are big waiting lists.
She said: “In the UK there are recall notices for Audi, Volkswagens, and Seats, but Stellantis, which is the owner of Citroen and DS, is the biggest affected, and they’ve actually issued what is called a stop drive order, which covers 168,000, as you said, C3 and DS3s are built between 2009 and 2019.”
And she added: “If you have been issued with one of these stop drive orders, you must not drive your car until it’s repaired, and if you do, you could actually face a fine of up to £2,500 you could get 3 points on your licence, or you could get a driving ban as well.
“You should know if you’ve been issued with one of these notices because you should have had a letter through the post, but also if you are at all worried, what you need to do is check on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency website using your vehicle registration.”
On motorists facing big delays, she said: “Linda said she received a letter telling her to stop driving her DS3 immediately, but that her dealer couldn’t fix it for her for 6 weeks, couldn’t fit it in. She said if it’s that urgent, why don’t they have the parts ready?
“Sandra from Rotherham told us her dealer had 1,500 cars on the waiting list and could only do 25 per day.
“She said she was told she’d have to contact her insurer for a courtesy car, only to find her policy didn’t allow her to drive at all until the repair was done, and it goes on, Kit from Norfolk said they were left disappointed and stranded after being told their local dealership refused to carry out the repair because they weren’t being paid for it, so there’s lots of angst out there and confusion as well.”
Stellantis, the owner of Citroen and DS, says it has issued a stop-drive order for all affected motors across Europe, prioritising customer safety.
They say UK owners will be notified by letter and can check if their car is impacted using the VIN tool on the Citroen UK website, or by calling the Recall Helpline.
Owners are urged to keep their contact details up to date with the DVLA, while Stellantis is working with its entire network to ensure timely repairs and will provide mobility support for those affected.
Citroen is offering compensation of up to £22 per day to owners affected by the recall, but payments only apply from the date the car is booked in for repair until the work is completed – not from when the letter is received.
Owners must provide proof, such as receipts for public transport, to claim reimbursement for alternative travel during this period.
As reported by the Express, legal expert Denise Nurse has even revealed what drivers can do if they’re unsatisfied with what they’re being offered.
She said: “First of all, put things in writing. Write to, in this case Citroen or DS and give them your car registration, the recall reference, and dates of the emails or letters or any correspondence that you’ve had explaining what’s gone on.
“Now, if you haven’t had a satisfactory response within eight weeks, you can escalate. Go to the motor ombudsman, they are in charge of settling any disputes if they can, and they have the power to order compensation and other actions.
“If you bought your car on finance, even if it was secondhand under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, your finance provider should also step in.
“Remember, write things down, keep all the evidence, put it in writing, and it should be dealt with within a reasonable time. Those are your rights. So write it all down, keep your receipts, and there is compensation for you.”
These Citroen models, specially built between 2009 and 2019, should not be driven until they’re fixed[/caption]
Motorists have been warned not to ignore the DVSA letter[/caption]
