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UFC-Que choisir Files Complaint Against Four Automakers Over Deadly Takata Airbags

The consumer group accuses Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes of deceptive practices and endangering lives as millions of vehicles in France remain unrepaired.

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Un module d'airbag du fabricant japonais Takata, dans un garage à Mulhouse, dans l'est de la France, le 19 février 2025

Overview

  • UFC-Que choisir filed a legal complaint on May 19, 2025, against Toyota, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes, alleging misleading practices and deliberate endangerment related to defective Takata airbags.
  • The defective airbags have been linked to 29 accidents and 12 fatalities in France, including a recent death in Guadeloupe in March 2025.
  • Despite 29 recall campaigns by manufacturers like BMW, 2.3 million vehicles in mainland France and Corsica, along with 80,000 in overseas territories, still have unreplaced airbags.
  • The Ministry of Transport has imposed stricter obligations on automakers and threatened heavy fines to address the recall shortfalls.
  • A proposed parliamentary inquiry into the Takata airbag crisis was rejected in April, fueling frustration, especially in overseas territories disproportionately affected by the issue.