Stellantis pulls immediate stop driving campaign for Citroën and DS 3 in Austria

Stellantis pulls immediate stop driving campaign for Citroën and DS 3 in Austria

Stellantis ordered an immediate stop-drive measure for certain models of the Citroën C3 (second generation) and DS 3 (first generation) in Europe. These vehicles, which were produced with takata airbags between 2009 and 2019, are no longer to be used until the necessary repairs are carried out. The measure affects models in particular that were approved in Austria in the production years 2009 to 2017, where a total of 12,464 vehicles are affected.

All owners of these models are asked to make an appointment in your contract workshop immediately in order to have the free airbag exchange carried out. The decision to expand the stop-drive arrangement makes Stellantis based on airbag specifications, the age of the vehicles, its degree of use as well as climatic conditions and feedback from supervisory authorities. An incident in France has also confirmed this measure.

Details on the recall campaign

The recall campaign, which started over a year ago, extends from southern Europe to the northern countries. The recall campaign has been carried out in Austria since January 2025, and 3,758 vehicles still have to be processed. Affected customers will soon receive further notifications and can use their vehicle identification number (VIN) on the Citroën website to check whether your vehicle is affected. It is recommended to also update the contact details in the local databases to ensure that all information is correct.

The network of Stellantis, including suppliers and workshops, is mobilized to ensure an efficient and safe implementation of the recall. This should help to ensure that the vehicle owners concerned receive a solution as soon as possible.

affected countries

The stop-drive measure affects several countries in Europe, including:

• France
• united kingdom
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Switzerland
• Poland
• Austria
• Sweden
• Czech Republic
• Norway
• Slovakia
• Finland
• Hungary
• Ireland
• ukraine
• lithuania
• Estonia
• Island
• Belarus
• Latvia
• Moldova
• Romania

The current events related to the Takata Airbags are particularly relevant, since similar security concerns also became known from other manufacturers, such as Audi. There it was found that problems with the airbag's lifting agent may be able to impair the function of the airbag. Audi initiated corresponding recall actions for vehicles from the production years 2000 to 2001, but the manufacturer currently sees no acute danger to vehicle owners.

Potential risks of takata airbags in older vehicles are a recurring topic in the automotive industry. Stellantis and other automobile manufacturers are continuously working on the safety of their vehicles to minimize such incidents.