Thousands of UK motorists have been left with undriveable cars due to a serious airbag defect alert. A critical safety recall was made last month for certain models of the Citroen C3 and its counterpart, the DS3. The warning concerns second-generation Citroen C3s produced from 2009 to 2016, as well as first-generation DS3s built from 2016 to 2019. These cars are equipped with potentially defective Takata airbag systems. The situation stems from an incident where a woman suffered fatal injuries from an airbag in a 2014 Citroen C3 in Reims, France, the previous year. Consequently, approximately 82,000 C3 and DS3 units have been withdrawn from circulation throughout France. It is estimated by the BBC that roughly 120,000 UK motorists could be impacted by this alert. One disheartened motorist in the UK reported to the BBC that her car will not be repairable until next year. Denise Harris, a 67-year-old blue badge holder from Hull, said January 2026 is her soonest available appointment, reports the Mirror . Denise said: "I've just paid my insurance for the year [and] I've paid my tax for the year for it to go home and stay in the car park and not be driven for six months." Another driver, 69-year-old Lisa Shackleton also from Hull, told the BBC the importance of her vehicle, which she uses to ferry her ill husband to medical appointments and visit her daughter who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment three hours away. She said: "I've tried to get the car fixed, but as I didn't get to know about the recall soon enough, the earliest it can be done is the end of July." If you own one of the affected vehicles, you should receive a notification by letter. Alternatively, you can check if your car is part of the recall by using the VIN check tool on Citroen's website. Stellantis, the parent company of Citroen, stated that there have been no reported incidents of faults in the UK. In a recent statement, the car manufacturer said: "Stellantis UK is mobilising its full network of suppliers, retailers and manufacturing plant to support this action to ensure the fastest, safest and most convenient solution for each customer. "Stellantis remains fully committed to acting swiftly, transparently, and responsibly in addressing this issue." A recall notice published online by Stellantis reads: "Stellantis UK announces an immediate stop-drive action for all Citroën C3 (second generation) and DS3 (first generation) vehicles manufactured between 2009 and 2019 equipped with Takata airbags. "Owners of such vehicles should immediately cease using their vehicle when safe to do so. Vehicles included in this new stop-drive action in the UK, were already part of an ongoing comprehensive recall campaign that started over one year ago, first in Southern Europe and then expanded northwards. "Recall decisions, especially stop-drive actions, are based on multiple factors, including airbag specifications, vehicle age and usage, climate conditions, and notifications from regulatory authorities. "Whilst there have been no reported instances in the UK, Stellantis has decided to deploy a stop-drive order for all impacted vehicles across Europe including the UK. This decision underscores the Company's unwavering commitment to customer safety."