France Orders Recall of 2.5 Million Cars Over Deadly Takata Airbags
France has expanded its recall of vehicles with Takata airbags to 2.5 million, following the death of a 37-year-old woman in Reims earlier this month. Her Citroën C3’s airbag exploded after a crash, sending metal shards into her head. The government has now doubled its “stop drive” orders to 1.7 million cars, targeting all brands with Takata airbags, especially in hot, humid regions like Corsica and the overseas territories where most of the 18 related deaths in France have occurred.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot called the move essential, stating that “all cars with the technology should be recalled, no matter how old they were.” The new action covers vehicles built before 2012 in mainland France and all models in overseas regions. Owners of affected vehicles can get free replacements, and the government is urging people not to drive them until the airbags are fixed. The airbags, which rely on unstable ammonium nitrate, have been linked to 35 deaths worldwide.
Victims’ families and consumer groups say the response has been too slow. One woman from Guadeloupe said, “If my father had not had a Takata airbag, he would be alive today.” A lawyer representing victims added, “It is urgent to force manufacturers to issue recalls and make sure they are properly carried out, otherwise there will be more deaths.”
