An Italian court has approved a class action lawsuit against Stellantis over dangerous airbags at Citroën and its sister brand DS. The claim is 2 billion kroner.
A class action lawsuit against car group Stellantis has been approved by a court in Turin, Italy, over potentially dangerous Takata airbags in hundreds of thousands of cars. The Citroën C3 and DS3 models are included in the case.
The approval means that owners of the affected cars can now join the lawsuit. The deadline for joining has been set at 150 days. This was announced by consumer organizations Codacons and Altroconsumo on April 15.
This is reported by Automotive News .
Codacons has filed the case on behalf of both organizations. They are seeking total compensation. The claim is over two billion Danish kroner.
The faulty airbags contain certain chemicals. These chemicals can break down over time, especially in hot and humid climates.
The breakdown poses a serious risk. The airbag could deploy with excessive force in a collision. This could cause serious injury or, in the worst case, death.
Citroën C3 and DS3 recall
Stellantis launched a recall campaign in 2024 specifically for the Japanese airbags. The recall covers a large number of Citroën C3 and DS3 cars. This applies to models produced between 2009 and 2019.
The cars with the problematic airbags have been sold in 24 different countries. Geographically, this covers Southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Stellantis has confirmed that it has taken note of the court's decision. The automaker states that it has initiated extensive work on the recall.
They are prepared to take the necessary steps. This also applies to steps that may result from the lawsuit itself.
Stellantis emphasizes an important point, however. The class action lawsuit in its current form does not address Stellantis' liability in the case. The assessment of liability will occur at a later stage in the legal process.
Consequences and legal action
The original manufacturer of the airbags, Takata, is no longer a going concern. The Japanese company filed for bankruptcy back in 2017.
The bankruptcy was a direct result of the worldwide airbag scandal. Takata faced huge billions in compensation claims and recall costs. Globally, more than 12 deaths have been linked to the manufacturer's defective airbags.
The first hearing in the Italian class action lawsuit against Stellantis is scheduled for November 21st.
The case in Italy is not unique. A similar class action lawsuit against Stellantis regarding Takata airbags has already been launched in France. This shows that the problem has an international dimension.
The Takata scandal meant that the original company behind the many airbags went bankrupt back in 2018. But seven years later, people are still dying from the dangerous airbags. Read more about it here .
