Takata Airbags: "I told them they could come to my funeral"... After another death, motorists are worried

Following the death of a female driver in Reims on June 11th due to a Takata airbag , there is concern among drivers who have not yet been able to have it replaced. This tragedy brings to 18 the number of deaths in France, including 16 overseas , due to the Japanese manufacturer's defective airbags. This latest victim, who was driving a Citroën C3, marks the first death in the northern half of the city. In response, the French manufacturer called on Tuesday through a "stop drive" for the immediate immobilization of all C3s and DS3s in Europe still equipped with this type of dangerous equipment.

These two models aren't the only ones equipped with Takata airbags. Some thirty manufacturers and millions of vehicles are affected by recalls. While northern France had previously been spared casualties, this latest death has prompted motorists to abandon their cars, no longer feeling safe behind the wheel.

This is the case for Nathalie Delville. This northern resident decided to limit the use of her 2012 Chevrolet Aveo as much as possible. After receiving a letter on March 31 advising her to replace her airbag, she chose to continue driving her car because her dealer assured her that it was not dangerous in northern France.

Until now, it was accepted that only overseas territories, and to a lesser extent the south of France, presented risks. The flaw in these airbags lies in the lack of sealing of a small ammonium nitrate cartridge that is supposed to inflate the cushion during an impact. However, this component can age poorly, especially in humid and hot areas, causing an excessively powerful and uncontrolled explosion of the airbag during an accident.

"I continued to use my car until Tuesday and the announcement that the Takata airbag caused the death of this driver in Reims," ​​says Nathalie Delville . "I'm going to drive it as little as possible, but I don't always have a choice because I live in the countryside and I need it to get to work." For Chevrolet drivers like her, changing their airbag seems more like an obstacle course than a simple formality. The case of the American company is particularly thorny for its buyers, since it withdrew from the European market at the end of 2015, General Motors (owner of Chevrolet) regrouping all its activities on the Old Continent under the responsibility of Opel, which was its subsidiary at the time. "For Opel garages, we feel that we are more of a nuisance than anything else. We are not a priority for them and they are in no hurry to help us. "I've tried a lot of places and they can't even say how long it will take to replace the airbag," laments Natalie Delville. " I've called back several times and they assure me they don't have the parts and there's a waiting list of 80 people."

Especially since his interlocutors don't seem to be taking the situation seriously: "Faced with their refusal to help, I told them they could come to my funeral. They laughed. And when they said it wasn't a big deal, I suggested they go and tell that to the family of the person who died in Reims."

Nayla, who owns a 2016 DS5, is also having trouble replacing her airbag. " I contacted the manufacturer in May because when I checked my registration document, I saw that it was a Takata brand. But someone at the DS dealership told me that I wasn't a priority for changing it." She then has to be patient despite the intense heatwave, which is causing her great anxiety. "It's hot and I'm really scared to use it. But I have no choice because I have a 2-year-old baby and two children aged 10 and 11 who go to school, and I have to use it," she explains.

This latest tragedy and the very high temperatures also worry Delphine Forget, who owns a 2011 Volkswagen Multivan, purchased second-hand two years ago. "We received a letter two weeks ago, and I had already heard about the problems with Takata airbags. But it's this week's story that has put me off. Now that I know, that we're affected, I think we'll avoid using the car, except to go to the garage," says the Normandy driver.

However, confusion still seems to reign among dealers about the right course of action: "I find it hard to get answers, because between a garage that tells you there's no risk, and another that tells you you shouldn't drive, you don't really know where you stand." Delphine Forget did, however, manage to find an appointment with a two-week wait: "I would have liked to have a courtesy vehicle while I wait, but I was told there were too many requests at once and they were all already taken."