Citroen is recalling over 20,000 of its right hand drive C3 Picassos in the UK due to a fault with the brakes.

The fault allows passengers to apply the car’s brakes simply by stretching their legs.

Due to the conversion from left-hand-drive to right-hand-drive there is still some brake pedal linkages in the passenger footwell, this combined with inadequate protection means that applying pressure to the back of the footwell will have the same effect as the driver pushing the brake pedal.

Tim Shallcross, Head of Technical Policy for the Institute of Advanced Motorists said, “Citroen must investigate the problem as a matter of urgency. If the driver’s control of the car can be compromised, they must take action to modify all cars, via a recall if necessary.”

In a statement to the BBC programme ‘Watchdog’ Citroen said, “The recall will require the fitment of an additional component to isolate the braking mechanism from the front seat passenger. In the meantime, C3 Picasso owners should continue to use their cars as normal. Customers wanting further advice or information are asked to call the Citroën Contact Centre on 01753 475862, or to email cuk_contactcentre@citroen.com.”

All repair work to correct this problem will be carried out free of charge.

Source: BBC