Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[ukdave2002]

I have never seen a "Stop Drive" manufacturer recall before, Citroen have issued one for the C3 and derivatives manufactured between 2009 -2016!

The issue was brought into focus last month by the death of a motorist in northern France. A 37-year-old woman driving a Citroen C3 was killed after a minor collision in Reims when she was struck by flying metal from a faulty airbag. Apparently the chemicals in the airbag can become unstable over time.

I'm not sure what the implications are if one continues to drive a vehicle after a stop drive recall has been issued? given the volume of vehicles affected its going to take some time to get them all fixed...

[Penman]

Not sure of the implications for a private motorist (injury or death insurance of the person/s in the vehicle for insurance) but DVSA have ordered that these vehicles cannot be used for any form of driving test, unless the ADIs have a notice of rectification from Citroen and I suspect that instructors' car insurance companies will hold instructors responsible if they are used for lessons before rectification.
I suspect a similar response from private hire insurers covering such as UBER and other PH companies.

DVSA regularly issue notices of refusal of cars for Driving Tests because of recalls.

Currently the CS and DS models are the only ones.


However there is also a general list of vehicles you can't use
Some cars cannot be used in the test because they do not give the examiner all-round vision.

You cannot use the following:

any panel van (cars without rear seats or rear side windows)
BMW 218 convertible
BMW Mini convertible
Ford KA convertible
Smart Fortwo (2-door)
Toyota iQ
VW Beetle convertible
There might be other cars that you cannot use. This is because not every model has been used in a test before, and some may not give the examiner all-round vision.

Check if your car can be used before booking a test
You can check if your car can be used by contacting the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

Always check if you want to use a:-
convertible car
coupe (a car with a fixed roof, two doors and a sloping rear)
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[consul 57]

i used to be an instructor and just after i qualified a local chap had an IQ toyota and as a fellow toyota owner myself with a mk1 yaris i was interested in seeing how good it was, i was quite surprised when i saw the chap again within a few months at the local test ctr when he had another car, he explained that the IQ was now banned from a test due to the visability, he had to buy another car quickly and lost money, it would have been nice of the dvsa to tell him before he chose an IQ, but they don't seem to care about instructors that much it seems. surly they could have looked at the car when it was announced for sale and made a decision sooner?

[Crashbox]

DVSA have been quoted as saying anyone found to be driving a car with a Stop-Drive notification is liable for a two and a half thousand pound fine, plus their insurance will most likely be void which will open them up to further legal issues. The cars affected are 2009-2016 Citroen C3, and 2009-2019 DS 3 (badged as a Citroen DS 3 2009-2016, and just DS 3 from 2016 to 2019). I've seen a few of each being driven around in the last week or so, even though the order to Stop-Drive was issued by Stellantis (the parent company) 2 weeks ago.

I've had to write out in words 'two and a half thousand pound' because the forum software appears to swap the pound sign for a question mark (?). It does the same with the e with the umlaut in Citroen, replacing the e with ?.
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1989 2CV

1932 Morris Minor S.V. Two-Seater

[alastairq]

What I'd like to know is, given the airbags in the Citroens are made by a Japanese firm Takata [who have grovelled and apologised in true Japanese fashion]...exactly how many other makes used Takata's airbags?

Toyota?
Suzuki?
Rolls-Royce?
Ford?

Surely Citroen aren't the only one's?

I once read that airbags have a 'life expectancy' of 19 years?

Perhaps the regulations governing 'functioning' air bags should be removed for vehicles over that age, equipped as society expected, with airbags?

Disabling an airbag system on an older vehicle, surely is going to be easier than waiting a year or so for a slot with a dealer to fit a new one?

I would rather knowingly have inactive airbags [or, no airbags, being a Morris Minor fan]...than have the potential ''thousand assegais'' pointed at my chest should the darned thing decide to go off.

Nobody within officialdom seems to care.....Like manufacturers, their answer is simply, either, '''buy a new car''....or, ''spend more & more of your money taking care of the issue?''

Still, it's one way of reducing traffic levels?

Although why the 'cease & desist' [or whatever it's called?] couldn't be applied to BMWs and Audis I don't know. Picking on cheapoh Citroens is purely socio-economic discrimination....[like, the current popular ageist discrimination regarding driving standards?}.....Getting them off the roads to make more room for the more expensive motorcars...The poor don't need cars, they have buses and rickshaws!
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Keith D]

The question of aging airbags is of concern to me. My BMW Z3 is now 26 years old with 200,000 km on the clock. I wonder just how effective and perhaps dangerous the two airbags have become. (no side bags fitted) I have made inquiries to try and get accurate info on their life span but have never received a qualified answer.
I understand that the bags fitted to the Z3 were of BMW's own design. I also wonder just how effective they would be in a car that either has nothing above the driver, or a flimsy fabric hood.

Keith
_________________
1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

[MikeEdwards]

[alastairq]

The same issue of age can also be levelled at seatbelts.

[Mind, I use seat belts {?} as suspension limiting straps.....They don't seem to have deteriorated being bolted between the coil spring mounts.]

However, as far as I can tell, the only 'inspection' they get throughout the MoT lifetime of a vehicle is a visual one for fraying [Often cured by an application of a lit cigarette lighter?]....and security of the mounts [corrosion within, what, 30 cm?] I forgot to mention 'staining?'

I sustained a work-related 'injury' due to wearing a seatbelt correctly.

Air brakes on a truck can be pretty fierce if the driver 'stamps' on the brake pedal....Which is what happened to me. The belts were the standar lap-&-diagonal inertia reel design....I was thrown forwards a very short distance before the belt locked, and the diagonal part twisted my upper torso around at the same time....Left a vivid mark across the left half of my chest. [I was 'passenger'..Therefore wasn't holding onto stuff like steering wheels or lipsticks.
Got me a couple of weeks accountable sick leave, full pay.....Sure, I milked it..all at the taxpayers' expense.
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[bjacko]

What happens when the manufacturer can no longer supply new air bags. In Australia dealers only have to supply spares for ten years, then it's tough luck!
_________________
1938 Morris 8 Ser II Coupe Utility (Pickup)
1985 Rover SD1 VDP

[alastairq]

I suspect the airbag units will get 'removed,' and the airbag warning lights 'rigged' to extinguish themselves when 'required?'' How is an examiner going to know, with performing an in-depth strip-down, which, in the UK, isn't allowed?
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
----------------------------------------------
Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Penman]

Chatting to the warden at my sheltered housing complex this morning. She has an affected CS. She is supposed to have it recovered to an approved garage (at her expense) but her insurance company is allowing cover for one drive to the garage. Current estimate for the replacement is around 6 months she is having to pay for a hire car in the meantime.
She has already passed the point, on her finance, where she could hand back the car without penalty, however because the repair hasn't been done she wouldn't be handing back a roadworthy car, so that clause in her contract can't apply.
She has also heard that Citroen knew about the problem from fairly early in the life of the CS/DS family, long before she got hers, and it is only the deaths in France which have prompted the Stop/Drive.

With all that plus the other manufacturers, who are no doubt using the same airbag supplier, I have to wonder if this is going to turn out to be the latest and largest mis-selling scandal.
I think it could be argued that Citroen and/or their dealers have been guilty of selling goods not suitable for their purpose.
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10