UK motorists issued ‘stop-drive’ recall warning as safety issue identified

Citroen has issued a “stop-drive” recall notice for four more models due to safety concerns around a vital component. Citroen's parent company Stellantis has confirmed that motorists who have purchased right-hand-drive Citroen C3, e-C3, C3 Aircross and e-C3 Aircross models are affected.

According to the manufacturer, the issue stems from a problem with the vehicle’s pedal box assembly. It means owners should not drive their cars until their vehicles have been thoroughly checked by a dealer. Stellantis has claimed that road users will be given a free replacement vehicle while their car is checked and repaired.

Citroen told the PA News Agency: "The safety of its customers is Stellantis' highest priority. During our regular quality process checks, an investigation revealed that certain right-hand-drive Citroen C3 and C3 Aircross could have a pedal box assembly that is not to the correct specification and is at risk of loss of brake capability.

"If this were to happen, the automatic emergency braking (AEB) and the electronic parking brake would remain fully operational. We are initiating a stop-drive action to protect all customers of the Citroen C3 and C3 Aircross affected. Customers will be provided a replacement vehicle whilst their car is checked and, if necessary, rectified.

"Stellantis remains fully committed to acting swiftly, transparently, and responsibly in addressing this issue, if any customer has any concerns they should contact customer services or their local retailer.”

Motorists can check if their car is affected by the recall notice in a matter of minutes through the Citroen website. Road users simply need to enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the Citroen UK recall checker or the DS Automobiles recall site to check for details.

All repairs are set to be conducted completely free of charge, meaning owners have no excuse not to get in touch with Citroen experts. There were concerns around the latest Vauxhall Frontera and Frontera Electric models which share the same parts with the Citroen C3.

These models are also understood to be affected, but Stellantis confirmed the issue would be fixed on all models before the new vehicles are delivered to customers.

A spokesperson for Citroen added: “Vauxhall aren't impacted as deliveries haven't started, vehicles are being checked and, if necessary, rectified."

Several Citroen and DS models are also affected by a separate recall notice around faulty Takata airbags. Around 96,000 UK drivers were told to stop using their vehicles with C3, DS3, C4, DS4, DS5 and C Zero models affected.

Express.co.uk has contacted Citroen for further comment.