Overview

• On April 16, the Paris prosecutor opened a judicial investigation for aggravated deception, misleading commercial practices and endangering lives over Takata’s defective airbags
• Preliminary inquiries into explosions in Galan (November 2023), Trois-Îlets (December 2021) and Reims (June 11, 2025) have been reassigned to the JIRS interregional court in Paris
• The Transport Ministry reports 18 deaths and 25 injuries in France caused by ammonium nitrate-based airbag ruptures exacerbated by hot, humid conditions
• Citroën ordered a Europe-wide “stop drive” recall of all C3 and DS3 models still fitted with Takata inflators after the June 11 fatality in Reims
• Investigators will examine failures to inform buyers of non-compliance as legal actions expand to other jurisdictions and involve additional automakers