A BBC expert has warned that motorists could face immediate £2,500 penalties and three points on their driving licence if they take certain vehicles on the road. Speaking on BBC Morning Live, presenter Louise Minchin revealed that 168,000 drivers are at risk of these sanctions.

The problem stems from a major Citroen car recall. Ms Minchin outlined that over 168,000 motorists have received 'do not drive notices for their vehicles due to a potentially hazardous airbag defect'.

She mentioned that numerous people had contacted the programme reporting significant delays in getting their cars fixed - leaving them without their main vehicle for months if they comply with the directive.

The recall was announced in June and concerned airbags manufactured by Japanese firm Takata, which Ms Minchin noted has subsequently collapsed.

She explained: "The reason those airbags have been recalled is it was found they can degrade over time, and if they're triggered, they can explode, sending metal into your car."

The BBC expert described the magnitude of the issue as 'enormous' with 67 million airbags being recalled globally.

She stated: "In the UK there are recall notices for Audi, Volkswagens, and Seats, but Stellantis, which is the owner of Citroen and DS, is the biggest affected, and they've actually issued what is called a stop drive order, which covers 168,000, as you said, C3 and DS3s are built between 2009 and 2019."

Ms Minchin warned that motorists face substantial fines and penalty points if they disregard the notice. She explained: "If you have been issued with one of these stop drive orders, you must not drive your car until it's repaired. And if you do, you could actually face a fine of up to £2,500 you could get 3 points on your licence, or you could get a driving ban as well.

"You should know if you've been issued with one of these notices because you should have had a letter through the post, but also if you are at all worried, what you need to do is check on the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency website using your vehicle registration."

Motorists can also verify details on the Citroen website here.

Ms Minchin revealed the BBC had received reports from motorists experiencing significant delays.

She added: "Linda said she received a letter telling her to stop driving her DS3 immediately, but that her dealer couldn't fix it for her for 6 weeks, couldn't fit it in. She said if it's that urgent, why don't they have the parts ready?

"Sandra from Rotherham told us her dealer had 1,500 cars on the waiting list and could only do 25 per day. She said she was told she'd have to contact her insurer for a courtesy car, only to find her policy didn't allow her to drive at all until the repair was done, and it goes on, Kit from Norfolk said they were left disappointed and stranded after being told their local dealership refused to carry out the repair because they weren't being paid for it, so there's lots of angst out there and confusion as well."

Stellantis, the parent company of Citroen and DS, has stated: "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.

"All affected customers will be notified by letter. Customers can also check if their vehicle is affected and what actions are advised by using the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) check tool on the Citroën UK website below. If impacted, they should register their vehicle to enable the processing of their repair as soon as possible.

"If you are unable to register online, owners can contact our Recall Helpline on 0800 917 9285. It is of paramount importance that owners of vehicles who may have changed either their address or contact details keep their information updated with the DVLA (Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority) so that they can be reached in a timely and efficient manner.

"Stellantis UK is mobilising its full network of suppliers, retailers and manufacturing plant to support this action and ensure the fastest, safest and most convenient solution for each customer. If you have any specific Mobility needs or requirements, please identify these when you speak to your retailer when making your booking, we have made a number of mobility solutions available to support customers impacted by this Stop Drive.

"Stellantis remains fully committed to acting swiftly, transparently, and responsibly in addressing this issue."

Ms Minchin revealed that Citroën is providing financial support: "We spoke to Citroen and it told us there is provision to reimburse customers for up to £22 a day, but your car must be booked in for repair, so that compensation doesn't start when you get the letter.

"Your car must be booked in. That is when it started, and then compensation is available from the date you book to the date of repair inclusive.

"So I'll just do a little example for you. If you phoned them booked it in on the 1st of September and it was eventually repaired on the 30th of September, you can claim across 30 days."

She explained that individuals would need to demonstrate they've had to utilise alternatives such as trains or buses and provide receipts to reclaim the money.

Legal expert Denise Nurse advised unsatisfied people to: "First of all, put things in writing. Write to, in this case Citroen or DS and give them your car registration, the recall reference, and dates of the emails or letters or any correspondence that you've had explaining what's gone on. Now, if you haven't had a satisfactory response within 8 weeks, you can escalate. Go to the motor ombudsman, they are in charge of settling any disputes if they can, and they have the power to order compensation and other actions.

"If you bought your car on finance, even if it was secondhand under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, your finance provider should also step in. Remember, write things down, keep all the evidence, put it in writing, and it should be dealt with within a reasonable time. Those are your rights. I mean, she's brilliant, isn't she? So write it all down, keep your receipts, and there is compensation for you."

UK drivers 'who ignore letter' could face 3 penalty points and £2,500 fine - Daily Record