French contrôle technique test to also check for faulty airbags from January 1, 2026

All vehicles undergoing a roadworthiness test in France from January 1, 2026 will have their airbags checked to see if they are Takata models and subject to a stop-drive campaign. 

The French Transport Ministry had recently announced its intention to introduce the change – sparking online confusion over the depth of the changes – but the measure has now been officially included in a decree.

It is the only major addition to the contrôle technique (French roadworthiness test) for the upcoming year. 

If the vehicle is equipped with faulty Takata airbags and subject to a stop-drive campaign – where drivers are strongly advised not to use the vehicle until it is repaired – it will fail the CT test. 

The vehicle will be classified as having a critical defect and drivers given authorisation to use the car only until midnight that day. In practice this requires it to be driven directly to a garage for repairs. 

This is similar to how the test treats critical brake or structural failures - anything that poses an immediate safety threat leads to a fail. In other cases, ‘major’ defects must be fixed within two months and vehicles taken back for a renewed inspection to ensure issues have been repaired.

“The roadworthiness test will only be validated after repair by an authorised dealer of the brand… the vehicle will not be permitted to be driven until it is repaired,” said the ministry in a press release. 

The rule will only apply to vehicles subject to a stop-drive campaign, and vehicles where air bag replacements are recommended but not mandatory will not be failed on this matter. 

However, drivers will be informed of the faulty airbag and urged to get a replacement by the test centre.

The ministry believes around 1.3 million vehicles on French roads are subject to the stop-drive campaign yet many are still being used regularly. 

This is often because owners are unaware their car is affected or ignore recall notices - but also because they bought the car second-hand without receiving recall information.

The faulty airbags can explode with excessive force, sending metal fragments into the vehicle cabin.

As of December 2025, 46 accidents and 20 deaths in France have been attributed to faulty Takata airbags. Many of these occurred in France’s overseas departments, as the airbags deteriorate more quickly in warm and humid conditions. 

Drivers urged to check in advance 

The ministry is urging drivers to check in advance of any scheduled roadworthiness test next year to see if their vehicle is impacted by the campaign and needs its airbags replaced. 

This can be checked on the ministry website.

If your vehicle is subject to the stop-drive campaign, the repair is free, and should take roughly half a day. 

Previously recalls were staggered to deal with shortages, but ample stocks are now recorded.