The French government has issued an another recall of 800,000 vehicles equipped with Takata airbags following a recent fatal accident involving the faulty airbags. Reuters reported that it is the largest automotive product recall in history, launched eight years ago after Takata’s bankruptcy filing.
A fatal crash in Reims has led French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot to reevaluate manufacturers’ safety assessments and enforce an urgent recall, including a stop-drive order for all impacted Citroën C3 and DS3 vehicles. Earlier this month, a 37-year-old woman lost her life in Reims after metal fragments struck her head during a minor collision while she was driving a Citroën C3.
Airbags deploy using ammonium nitrate gas for rapid inflation, but in hot and humid climates, the compound can break down over time, causing violent explosions that hurl metal fragments toward the driver’s face.
Minister Philippe Tabarot on Tuesday declared that every vehicle equipped with Takata airbag technology must be recalled, regardless of age.
The directive extends to all vehicles manufactured up to 2011 in mainland France. French government spokesperson Sophie Primas explained that the broader recall was implemented as a precaution.
Takata’s current owner has not yet commented on the expanded vehicle recall in France. The company had earlier projected that around 125 million vehicles worldwide were subject to recall by 2019.
Earlier this month, Stellantis issued an urgent stop-drive order across Europe for specific C3 and DS3 models due to safety concerns linked to Takata airbags. The scandal was initially centered in the United States and has only begun to affect Europe in the past two years.
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