UK (Commonwealth) _Earlier this week, the international automaker announced a recall affecting 530 000 DS 3 and C3 vehicles. It is now estimated that 1.4 million French autos are impacted.
Le Parisien published an interview on Thursday stating that a safety crisis involving the international automaker Stellantis impacts more automobiles than previously reported. Stellantis declared on Wednesday that there will be a recall of 530,000 of its cars that were built between 2009 and 2019 due to potential hazards associated with defective airbags.
The Japanese automaker Takata is credited for creating the airbags, which have been connected to several incidents, some of which have been deadly. When moisture enters the inflator, the parts are more vulnerable to rupturing, which send sharp proponents hurtling toward may people in the vehicle.
It appears that 1.4 million automobiles in France are impacted by the safety recall, notwithstanding Stellantis’ initial claim that more than half a million of their vehicles were affected. Out of the 8 million Stellantis cars impacted worldwide, this is one.
Catherine Bieth, head of the Ministry of Ecological Transition-affiliated SSMVM, France’s motoring authority, provided an update to Le Parisien. Stellantis has instructed DS 3 and C3 vehicle owners to cease using their vehicles.
Ms. Bieth did, however, clarify that the investigations also had an impact on Opel, C4, DS4, and DS5 vehicles. Despite claims to the contrary, owners of these cars have been urged to cease driving after receiving information from the manufacturer about safety risks.
In 2017, as it struggled with billion-dollar liability payments related to the airbag safety issue, Takata declared bankruptcy in the US. Honda initiated its initial recall of cars equipped with Takata’s airbag inflators in 2008 after concerns initially surfaced in 2007.
More than 3 million cars were recalled globally by Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Mazda in 2013, and in 2014, the New York Times revealed an alleged Stellantis cover-up. Nissan also advised about 84,000 of its customers to cease driving older cars at the end of last month due to the danger that Takata airbags pose.
A 51-year-old man from the southwest French department of Hautes-Pyrénées passed away while operating a C3 in November of last year. According to authorities, his automobile was “equipped with a Takata airbag which was linked to the accident.” A legal probe into the incident is being launched.
Stellantis stated in a news release on Wednesday that regular recalls are used to evaluate and manage the risks related to Takata airbags.Three investigations into safety concerns involving around 1.65 million Stellantis-manufactured automobiles have been launched by US safety authorities.
1.34 million Jeep Cherokee compact SUVs from the 2014 to 2020 model years are included in the biggest investigation. There have been 80 complaints, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, of SUVs’ electronic parking brakes activating while they are in motion. According to the agency, the complaints make the claim that water can enter the brake control computer.
A second investigation focuses on 289,000 compact SUVs from 2016—the Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Patriot—after 127 complaints of engine stalling brought on by issues with the crankshaft or camshaft sensor. According to the EPA, Fiat Chrysler had a recall for a related issue in 2016. It seeks to determine whether the issue affects cars that are not covered by the recall.
Additionally, the government reports that it has received 40 complaints about Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivans losing power due to a gearbox issue. The investigation includes 21,000 vehicles from the 2019–2021 model years. Recalls may result from the probes, although the agency hasn’t requested any as of yet. There have been no recorded collisions or injuries in any of the three occurrences.
Fiat Chrysler and PSA Peugeot of France merged to become Stellantis, which claims it is assisting with the investigations. The Italian-American company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group merged in 2021 to establish Stellantis N.V., a global automobile manufacturing firm.The corporate office is located in Hoofddorp.
With sales, Stellantis ranked as the fourth-largest carmaker in the world as of 2023, after the Volkswagen Group, Toyota, and Hyundai Motor Group.The business was placed 61st in the Forbes Global 2000 in 2023.The New York Stock Exchange, Euronext Paris, and Borsa Italiana all list the company’s shares.
The company Stellantis creates, produces, and markets vehicles under the following 14 brands: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Cadillac. Stellantis employed almost 300,000 people, had sales presence in over 130 countries, and had production sites in 30 countries at the time of the merger.
