DD20 car serious safety recall - left with no car?

[Doornon]

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

We’re in the same boat OP with a DS3. I don’t think people on this thread realise what a massive recall this is. We only bought the bloody thing in April (second hand) and found out about the issue because DD was registered for a driving test in the car.
It’s not new cars that are the problem it’s ds3 2009- 2016, c3 2009 -2019. You can’t get through on the helpline at all. We’ve registered with the local dealership but nobody has the parts so just waiting indefinitely for them to call and book us in, could be months. Totally ridiculous. DD can’t practice or take her test in it, I can’t use it for work but we’re just supposed to wait.

I think I’d be getting a solicitor to write a letter at this stage. How appalling! They should be offering everyone a courtesy car or a refund and quick smart. Waiting months/years just isn’t acceptable. They have sold cars that are not fit for purpose. Does Martin Lewis have anything to say?

Can't afford a temporary e bike in addition to a modern car she's already paying for, more like.

But why should the OP solve this problem to her detriment when it isn't her fault?

The DD bought her car in good faith and cannot use it. It is reasonable for the manufacturer to compensate her for the cost of alternative transport.

This sounds like something that is going to cost them a lot of money overall, but it could well be that they have insurance and/or a sinking fund to cover it.

The problem for OP and others is the scale of the recall. In the UK there is about 120000 cars with this issue. Across Europe it's in the tens of millions. There isn't enough hire cars or replacement parts to solve quickly.

You could amend the insurance on the car she isn’t using to be just in your name and just 3rd party while it’s not being used, to save costs.

But agree - what a shit situation. Citroen really should do better than this.

Er, OEMs will not be offering replacement vehicles, especially on a recall of this scale.

Do you think they have spares just parked up?

Besides, this is the risk a person runs when you purchase a piece of crap French car - famed for their complete unreliability!

Ask them to put the courtesy car in your name, and let dd drive your car with temporary insurance?

Yeah you are totally right but companies can’t just magic up say 5000 cars as loan cars.

No I agree it is the manufacturer that needs to sort it, that wasn't what I was replying about.

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.

I'd be tempted to leave it at the dealership and SORN it there.

There's also all the other issues that will come with a car not being run for at least 6 months that presumably they also won't cover you for when the time comes - flat battery, seized brakes, rust, corrosion of pipes and fittings, deterioration of rubber seals, etc, etc, etc.

What a shitshow.

You are right - we don't deal with French cars but I have just looked into this a bit more on our wider network page and I can't believe the size of the issue.

Op I think the reality is you will need to buy a new car and then fight for compensation - I can't see this being resolved anytime soon.

Exactly this. I've just been on the Citroen website checking if my Citroen is affected and the amount of cars on Stop-Drive is actually not even the full problem, there's a list of all affected cars on the website and it's affecting more models than what the BBC article said. It's too big for them to be able to magic up enough replacement cars for everyone affected (and atm they're doing a staggered recall so more cars will be recalled later).

It’s a perfectly good suggestion. Of course, MN is generally very anti-cyclist/bicycle and views bikes as toys, or a last resort for poor people and those who can’t drive.

I can’t afford car hire either having looked into it, but I am not happy and neither is DD about either of us e-biking 20 mile round trip every day. I have an bad back so it’s a hard no, DD works shifts and neither of us feel at all comfortable biking that distance down rural winding roads we have NO experience of doing this and lack the knowledge/confidence to do this safely, plus it’s been a heatwave, or it will be pitch black outside.

If it was 2-4 miles, I agree it would be an option (or we would probably just walk?) but it’s 10+ fucking miles one way.. come on!

They have booked her car in for 21st August, the issue is the part. That’s all we can do

They will pay £22 a day for travel expenses (reclaimed after repair)
£50 for the tow to garage

The only feasible option is to pay £250 to put DD on my car insurance and we will car share. I can try to claim this back but I will get public transport if needs be - as it’s just more practically easier for me than it is for her, or WFH.

The reason I am helping sort this out is because she is my lovely 20 year old daughter, this isn’t her fault and I am not the kind of mum who tells my kids to fuck off and sort it out on their own.

Has it occurred to you that some people:

-physically can’t sit on a bike
-don’t know how to safely navigate 10+ miles ALONE of pitch black winding rural roads without having a serious accident
-doesn’t know anyone with a spare bike
-is on a tight budget

please stop. I am not interested in bikes options. You do you. If you like bikes that’s great

Yes, these things have occurred to me. That doesn’t begin to explain MN’s, and the UK’s, general loathing of cyclists.

Oh, and I’m not particularly into bikes, I don’t even own one at present. I simply get frustrated at all the hate surrounding them.

Could you speak with insurance to see if there is anything they can help with/advise?

I don’t hate bikes. I think it’s a skill neither of us have. I don’t feel safe neither does DD.

Don’t drive the car it’s not safe 😂

Hear hear @EssentialGarage

I would go with the option of putting her on your insurance if you can. My only car in the household is affected too and it’s ridiculous how long the waiting lists are and Citroen aren’t even answering most peoples calls so I wouldn’t hold out much hope for a resolution from them. Even more annoying when you find out that they knew about this problem years ago, but just let everyone carry on driving potentially deadly cars.

Citroen UK MD if you want to complain OP:

[email protected]

I think you’ve done well considering, to get her booked in next month

total nightmare all round and a pr disaster for citroen

i’m very pro-cycling but I agree that 10 miles along rural roads (assuming no cycle lanes) is pushing it. Presumably she will also be wanting to travel shorter journeys however so it being summer it would be a great time of year to get on a bike and see if it works for some journeys. In good weather like we have now I’m using mine daily and short errands take me less time on the bike