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Original poster

DD20 car serious safety recall - left with no car?

243 replies

Doornon · 03/07/2025 06:38

DD20 lives at home and drives a car to work that’s had a stop drive notice put on it urgently. You need to get a slot with a dealer to carry out the recall but some people are having to wait months for the repair. We couldn’t get through to anyone yesterday by phone so I will try again today. She won’t be insured to drive the car as it’s unsafe

DD is too young to hire a car as you need to be 21. I think the manufacturer will maybe give some compensation if there is a long wait, but we don’t know this for sure. They are NOT giving courtesy cars.

I am not sure what to do.

DD’s job is shifts, 10 miles away so I’m having to take and collect her as no direct public transport at all. I also have a FT job in the opposite direction! I’m already exhausted

She can’t work from home or change her shift times

Public transport doesn’t run at her shift times and isn’t direct (would involve 2 hours of changing/waiting)

She could get taxis but this will be very expensive there and back and not sure if she will be able to claim any costs back.

Insure her on my car at our cost and then I hire a car?

Ask my job to WFH so I can lend her my car?

WWYD? I am frazzled by this

OP posts:
LlynTegid · 03/07/2025 15:23

The OP has advised what her family are doing in the meantime. The small mercy is this recall has happened before a crash, however inconvenient it is. Over 1,000 people died in road crashes in the UK last year and every death in road crashes is one too many.

JaneyG1 · 03/07/2025 15:17

ThrowAwayHooray · 03/07/2025 08:40

No need to be snarky, a lot of people work 7-7 or 8-8 shifts i.e. commuting during daylight hours (in the summer) therefore it’s a valid suggestion considering you didn’t give any specifics.

Also, you spoke about hiring a car yourself and the only reason you gave for why your daughter couldn’t hire one was because of her age, not cost, so again without any specifics about your financial situation an E-bike is a valid suggestion as refurbished ones from Halfords start at around £350 which is cheaper than hiring a car for a unspecified amount of time and can be sold after to recoup some of the cost.

If the suggestions don’t work for you that’s fine but no reason to say it’s stupid and be sarcastic; people are answering in good faith based on the information (or lack thereof) that you’ve provided.

Show quote history

I am of the firm opinion that anyone getting on a bike and riding it on the roads nowadays is a psychopath. No way would I want my daughter (at 12, 20 or 40) riding a bike in modern road conditions - rush hour or not. Not to mention the other safety aspects of a young female being out on her own at 5am or 11pm.

Elbowpatch · 03/07/2025 15:15

FloofyBird · 03/07/2025 15:07

Can it be fixed elsewhere and the bill sent to citreon?

To fix it they would need to have the parts, and the parts are in short supply because there are many thousands of cars worldwide that are affected by the same recall.

Hankunamatata · 03/07/2025 15:08

Talk to the dealer about you vetting a hire car and them payong and giving dc your car

FloofyBird · 03/07/2025 15:07

Can it be fixed elsewhere and the bill sent to citreon?

Original poster
Doornon · 03/07/2025 15:03

WetBandits · 03/07/2025 15:02

You asked for advice and are telling people to fuck off when they give it? Delightful

I didn’t ask for any advice on cross country biking. Thanks

I also asked politely more than once for people to stop making snarky comments about bikes before I said fuck off

OP posts:
WetBandits · 03/07/2025 15:02

You asked for advice and are telling people to fuck off when they give it? Delightful

Original poster
Doornon · 03/07/2025 14:47

Yes I accept I might be wrong about a courtesy car age limit but nevertheless, there are none on offer as too many people needing them.

I have looked at enterprise its asking us to sign up with £10 now but isn’t really explaining what you get for this cost? I need to look into it in more detail

OP posts:
greencartbluecart · 03/07/2025 14:28

Citron are looking to see if it can be an at home fix or. Other garage but as yet nothing is posisble

which recommend keeping all receipts but as yet no recompense has been promised and i guess iy may take decades

keeps editing to add
there won’t be enough hire cars and spares around to give everyone affected one til the problem is sorted

dogcatkitten · 03/07/2025 14:27

soupyspoon · 03/07/2025 07:57

Does the repair have to be done by a dealership garage, given they are inundated and cant do peoples repairs wouldnt it make sense for citroen to give permission for people to get it done at other garages, identified ones they are happy with to get this done?

Or in fact, is it less faff and quicker and possibly cheaper to get it done yourself by another garage?

One problem is the supply of the air bags, they are not in stock and in short supply and that's the same problem even if you got to a non-dealership and pay full price, which will be expensive.

Edit: The recall is free at a dealership.

Summerbay23 · 03/07/2025 14:22

Doornon · 03/07/2025 06:56

Even if they gave her a courtesy car she’s legally too young to be allowed to drive it you must be 21+

No they are not giving out any solutions it’s all in the news

this is just one article but we have read all the info from Citroen

www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rpk6j52xxo

Is this definitely the case, when our 2nd car broke down hours from home and the rac couldn’t recover it my 20 year old son was given a courtesy car by the rac as they didn’t have enough drivers to recover the vehicle immediately.

Teenybub · 03/07/2025 13:58

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

I love going out on my bike, but I wouldn’t be going out on it at 5am or 11pm because it’s dangerous. I also wouldn’t have the energy at 5am to hop on a bike and cycle to work, and I would need to set off earlier because I would sweat buckets on the 10 mile cycle so would need a wash when I arrive and to then make myself presentable. I already own a bike, but if I didn’t I couldn’t afford one at this point anyway with no notice.

I don’t know why you are attracting idiots on this thread OP. Cars exist for a reason, if your daughter didn’t need hers then you wouldn’t have started the thread, people don’t seem to be grasping that because they can manage without a car it doesn’t mean that others can.

I have a friend who uses her car for work, she probably drives 60 miles a shift going to patients houses, the bus stop at the end of her road isn’t that beneficial.

fluffiphlox · 03/07/2025 13:17

Doornon · 03/07/2025 13:09

I don’t know if you noticed but I said in my OP I felt stressed. Glad I had you around to help add to that continually by making annoying suggestions.

Show quote history

Well at least I’m not the person who suggested she should carry on driving it. I don’t think my suggestions are unreasonable in the circumstances. What about the car club solution as suggested above?

AlternativeSuggestions · 03/07/2025 13:15

Could she possibly stay with a colleague for a few nights each week (lets assume, M-F working days)?

Edit: so her collegue could drive into work and they thus could car-share.

You could drop her off Mon morning, and pick her up Fri afternoon. She could give her £22 per day to her colleague (£110 possibly) for the inconvenience of hosting.

Might be a solution for a few weeks perhaps until garage can fit you in.

Just a thought....

meisafairy · 03/07/2025 13:13

Enterprise car club takes people from the age of 19.
I have cars dotted about all over the UK.
It’s like short-term rental

Insidelaurashed · 03/07/2025 13:10

This is such a shit situation for you both, OP. DD has presumably worked hard to pass her driving test and buy a car SO THAT she can get to the job she presumably applied for KNOWING she had a car to use. It's not like she's messed up and lost the car through her own fault (drink driving for example) she's in a situation not of her own making. She is lucky she has a mum who will do what she can to try to help.

Original poster
Doornon · 03/07/2025 13:09

fluffiphlox · 03/07/2025 13:07

I never suggested you did. You sound very grumpy.

Show quote history

I don’t know if you noticed but I said in my OP I felt stressed. Glad I had you around to help add to that continually by making annoying suggestions.

OP posts:
fluffiphlox · 03/07/2025 13:07

Doornon · 03/07/2025 13:06

I don’t hate my kids. I hope that helps you understand better

Edited
Show quote history

I never suggested you did. You sound very grumpy.

Original poster
Doornon · 03/07/2025 13:06

fluffiphlox · 03/07/2025 13:03

Well instead of getting her Ma to do the legwork, she could ask around in work to see if she could carshare with someone who comes from her neck of the woods , she could buy/borrow a bike or e-bike, or she could lodge during the week somewhere.
It’s a huge recall for a very nasty problem.
Edit: ah I see that these have been suggested already and that I am a ‘moron’ for suggesting any of them. Fair enough.

Edited

I don’t hate my kids. I hope that helps you understand better

OP posts:
Original poster
Doornon · 03/07/2025 13:04

SpacedOutOut · 03/07/2025 12:57

I’ve had a letter about my Citroen C3. I called this morning to book it in but the lady doing bookings isn’t in today so I have to call back tomorrow. Being as the letter says ‘stop driving immediately’, I’m wondering if they’ll be coming to pick the car up!? I live a 40 minute drive from my local Citroen dealership.

No they aren’t - they will apparently reimburse £50 plus £1 per mile for the tow to the garage, after the repair has taken place. We will have to organise a tow truck

There is talk about them coming to your home to do the work but no one seems to be able to get that booked in

It’s a shit show. I hope you get it sorted out

OP posts:
fluffiphlox · 03/07/2025 13:03

Well instead of getting her Ma to do the legwork, she could ask around in work to see if she could carshare with someone who comes from her neck of the woods , she could buy/borrow a bike or e-bike, or she could lodge during the week somewhere.
It’s a huge recall for a very nasty problem.
Edit: ah I see that these have been suggested already and that I am a ‘moron’ for suggesting any of them. Fair enough.

Doornon · 03/07/2025 13:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

SpacedOutOut · 03/07/2025 12:57

I’ve had a letter about my Citroen C3. I called this morning to book it in but the lady doing bookings isn’t in today so I have to call back tomorrow. Being as the letter says ‘stop driving immediately’, I’m wondering if they’ll be coming to pick the car up!? I live a 40 minute drive from my local Citroen dealership.

NoKnit · 03/07/2025 12:52

Doornon · 03/07/2025 07:36

At 5am or 11pm? I’m not stupid but this is stupid I’m afraid. It’s shift work I said that: it’s not normal hours in the daytime

buying an E bike? We can’t afford that. Please 😂

Edited
Show quote history

I'm trying to understand why cycling at 5am is stupid. It's actually light at that time as it's currently summer.

Or go for the 2 hour public transport option but she walks some of it?

She asks colleagues for a lift share from a certain place she gets a bus to or something?

Ridley4 · 03/07/2025 12:44

I think a lot of people commenting on this thread must live in cities or towns with reasonable public transport or availability of taxis. I grew up cycling or hacking around the local lanes but wouldn’t feel safe doing either now due to the speed of passing traffic. I sympathise Op and hope you manage to get something sorted