Consumption

Stellantis will compensate all consumers in the European Union who have had a problem with AdBlue in their Citroën, DS, Opel and Peugeot cars. The manufacturer will cover the repair costs.

AdBlue is a urea-based additive designed to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from diesel engines. It's important to top up when the car needs it, otherwise it won't want to restart. But at Stellantis, there was a software problem that falsely estimated the empty tank. The program blocked the cars when it wasn't necessary, since there was AdBlue in the tank. The tank had to be changed to get around the bug. A costly repair. Under pressure from consumer associations and following an Italian victory, Europe decided to take the bull by the horns. A dialogue was initiated between Stellantis and the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC Network), made up of consumer protection authorities and the European Commission.

Thanks to Italy

Complaints began pouring in from consumer associations in many countries just under 10 years ago. It's estimated that hundreds of thousands of consumers around the world have fallen victim to the blackout. The lucky ones could still benefit from the manufacturer's warranty. Others had to pay for repairs. But at the end of 2023, the Italian consumer protection authority threatened Stellantis with legal action. It finally obtained commitments for Italian consumers without going to court. The other organizations then decided to take the case to European level, out of concern for equality between EU citizens. Bingo! The problem now falls within the scope of a manufacturing defect, with an unlimited warranty... 

Compensation

In the end, all affected European customers will be compensated. This will also work for those who have already paid for repairs because their car was no longer covered by warranty. This is part of a special “4UA - 4UB” parts and labor reimbursement coverage for Peugeot, Citroën, DS and Opel vehicles manufactured between January 2014 and August 2020. There may also be an additional contribution of 30 euros towards labor costs. To benefit from the compensation, contact your dealer until a dedicated platform goes online on January 15, 2025. Compensation is also available to professional users. If Stellantis fails to meet its commitments, the group will be sanctioned by the European authorities.

(MH with Olivier Duquesne - Source : SPF Économie de Belgique (autorité fédérale) - Picture : © SPF Économie - Stellantis - CPC)