Are major changes to France’s contrôle technique taking place next year?

France’s Transport Ministry has clarified plans to alter roadworthiness tests for vehicles next year after ‘false information’ about the change was spread online.

Various recent online articles in France claimed that from January 1, 2026, vehicles going in for a contrôle technique (roadworthiness test or CT) would also be assessed for major recalls and repair schemes underway in France for vehicle defects. 

If a vehicle was flagged as not having received the necessary repairs, it would immediately be flagged and required to undergo a follow-up inspection (contre-visite) following the repairs.

At the same time, test centres would be required to pass on driver contact information to manufacturers to arrange any necessary repairs and ensure the chain of communication is not broken, or risk a fine.

It would mean in practice that drivers impacted by any vehicle recalls would be forced to have the issue fixed immediately to continue driving, potentially leading to expensive repairs.

However, the Transport Ministry has clarified that this will only be the case relating to the ongoing Takata airbag scandal. 

Only “vehicles equipped with Takata airbags that have not yet been replaced, for which a re-inspection [contre-visite] could become mandatory,” said the ministry to AFP.

“This measure, which aims to speed up the recall of these dangerous devices, could come into force on January 1,” it added.

However, a decree confirming the change is yet to be published in France’s Journal Officiel, the Ministry said. Until this happens, the new rules cannot be implemented.

Only Takata airbag vehicles impacted 

If published in time for January 1, 2026, the decree will require any vehicles impacted by the stop-drive campaign to have the repairs scheduled within two months of the CT test – or if classed as a critical failure, immediately – with an ensuing contre-visite to ensure the issue had been fixed.. 

Whether the impacted vehicles with Takata airbags will be classified as having major or critical defects will be clarified in the decree.

The Ministry hopes this would in turn lead to vehicles being repaired more quickly.

It is only if further decrees change rules to make this a standard practice for future vehicle recalls and repairs that drivers will be more widely impacted.

As a reminder, a vehicle which fails its CT with major faults is given a two-month pass by the test centre to remain on the road, during which time it must have the issue repaired and then taken for a ‘contre-visite’ so that this can be confirmed. 

Vehicles that fail with ‘critical faults’ are only given authorisation to drive until midnight of the day of the test, effectively meaning they must be taken straight to a garage for repairs.