Overview
- Paris’s specialized JIRS court has launched three new judicial investigations into Toyota, Volkswagen and BMW after a complaint by UFC-Que Choisir, examining potential failures to act once inflator defects were known.
- Lawyer Christophe Lèguevaques is expanding his collective action beyond Citroën C3 and DS3 to dozens of additional models across Stellantis, BMW, Toyota and Volkswagen, with roughly 2,900 motorists already enrolled.
- French authorities attribute 18 deaths and 25 injuries to Takata airbags, largely in overseas territories, and a separate inquiry into a suspected death was opened in New Caledonia in late October.
- AFP reports that 1.7 million vehicles in France are under a “stop drive” recall requiring free airbag replacements, while victims’ counsel says up to 2.5 million owners could seek compensation through criminal proceedings.
- The initial Paris probe opened in April for endangering life was widened in July to three potential involuntary homicides tied to Citroën C3 airbag ruptures, as investigators cite ammonium nitrate propellant degradation as the underlying hazard.