It is one more hassle for motorists who have a car still equipped with a Takata airbag. TF1 had noted on July 31 that several garages franchises no longer accepted to support cars that still have an airbag of the Japanese manufacturer. A policy that may have caused misunderstanding in certain drivers. But a week later, the main players in the sector, such as Speedy, Norauto and Point defend this choice.
Speedy confirms to Libération Having made this decision on July 29 following a press release published the same day by the Ministry of Transport, which strengthens the security and support obligations for manufacturers about vehicles equipped with these airbags. «If there is a proven risk for the motoristthere is therefore a risk both for Speedy customers but also for Speedy France employees and partners, who are led to intervene on the vehicle as part of its maintenance. The employees of the brand are also regularly required to move the vehicle, sometimes having to carry out road tests before restitution ”, justifies the company. In some cases, a compromise can however be found as “For urgent intervention situations that do not require the Speedy technician to move the customer’s vehicle. For example for a change of bulbs, adblue, visual controls … “
On the Norauto side, we explain that we no longer accept in the workshop the vehicles concerned by the “Stop Drive” directive, that is to say immobilized. “This measure aims to guarantee the safety of employees in the center”, ensures this network of 400 addresses, which specifies that “Only those with a builder compliance certificate can be supported in Norauto centers.” The mechanic specifies that vehicles that are only affected by a driver’s recall, and not by a “stop drive”, can go to his workshops. With the notable exception of interventions involving manipulation on the airbag system.
At Point S, which has 670 centers, we “Prefers to redirect motorists equipped with Airbag Takata to the manufacturers so that the airbag is changed before taking care of them”. Green light also provides Figaro that «Airbag replacement is compulsory and must be made before any movement in one of our centers. It is not a refusal, but a duty of security. ” Midas has not yet officially communicated on this subject.
At the Ministry of Transport, we judge “understandable” This precautionary measure for the vehicles concerned by a “stop drive” which require, especially in the test phase, to circulate on the road. It is still recalled that“There is no known case of an airbag explosion when the vehicle is stopped. The garage owners of these networks can therefore continue to carry out all the interventions carried out within the garage on vehicles equipped with Takata airbags. ”
The ministry also stresses that the change of airbag is the responsibility of the car manufacturer and not to the garage owners of unconvilled networks. “The garage owners of these networks have a very important role of vigilance and control as part of their interventions on vehicles, add the ministry to Libe. They must alert motorists who would be equipped with Takata airbags and invite them to get closer to a brand garage owner ”