Peugeot and Citroën dealers threat suing the brands

By Redação AutoIndústria | 05/05/23 | Translated by Jorge Meditsch

Peugeot and Citroën dealer nets are threatening to sue Stellantis. In a long six-page letter sent on May 2 to the manufacturer group management, the dealers assert that vehicles from both brands have shown quality problems that “are tarnishing the brands’ image” and thus repelling the customers.

The text signed by the directors of the Peugeot and Citroën dealers associations, Abracop and Abracit, asserts that the dealers have already exposed the problems to both brands in face-to-face meetings, online and through correspondence sent to the responsible areas.

Among the difficulties related also should figure the lack or lag of replacement parts to repair vehicles at the net’s shops.

“The recurrent lack of parts and vehicle quality problems were already the object of many negotiations and previous letters sent to the brands Peugeot and Citroën, but despite some efforts and measures taken by the brands, it is clear that those are not effective, and its effects are still not noticed by the customers”, alert the document.

The dealers’ representatives mention explicitly the New C3, Citroën’s most recent product, made in Porto Real, RJ. The hatch, which hit the stores in September last year, almost one year after its first presentation, had its launch scheduled by the manufacturer for the beginning of 2022. At the time, Stellantis justified the delay for the components supply crisis.

“We cannot lack mentioning the C3 – just launched – which launch was delayed many months and had many campaigns to correct problems, some of them ongoing. For some of these campaigns, there are no parts available for replacement”, asserts the text.

The dealers also claim that “besides the dealers being unable to assist their customers satisfactorily, this is also impacting strongly, negatively and unfairly, the receipt of bonuses connected to quality polls performed by the brands”.

The associations finish by enumerating a list of measures they expect from the brands to correct the quality problems and lack of parts and reevaluate the dealers’ bonus criteria based on the analysis of quality and customer assistance quality, informing that the non-fulfillment of any of them in ten days will take to the immediate filing of all possible legal actions”.

Asked by AutoIndústria, Stellantis answered with a short official note:

“Stellantis keeps the most rigid quality tests aligned to the best global practices. Occasional part supplying inconveniences are dealt with and corrected with the highest possible speed.”