The handling of Takata airbag recalls is becoming one of the most critical issues in the confrontation between Stellantis and its European dealer network, precisely as the two sides negotiate the renewal of dealership agreements.
Authorized service centers involved in the replacement campaigns argue that the labor times recognized by the company do not match the real time required, because Stellantis would count only the strictly technical phase of removing and replacing the component, without including all the related tasks that every repair involves, from customer intake to paperwork, from managing vehicle flow to the final checks before handover. According to dealers, the gap between theoretical time and actual time turns into costs that fall directly on their facilities.
Recall costs and new standards are driving a deeper clash between Stellantis and dealers
The reimbursement issue tied to technical repairs goes beyond Takata and extends to a broader question about the economic sustainability of aftersales operations, which the dealer network sees as central to the current negotiations. The workload on authorized workshops has grown significantly in recent years because of large-scale recall campaigns, and dealers want the new agreements to reflect that reality.
At the same time, the negotiations also involve the investments required to upgrade physical facilities. Stellantis appears to be pushing for more modernization of retail locations, but operators are showing clear caution both about the scale of the expected spending and about the possibility of reducing the multi-brand model used until now in several markets, potentially moving back toward showrooms that are less integrated than the current Stellantis Houses.
Another factor complicates the picture: the notice periods built into dealership contracts. Dealers see that issue as crucial because it directly affects their ability to recover investments and plan their business over the medium term.
For now, the distance between the two sides remains wide, and the atmosphere stays tense, with negotiations that touch not only operating margins but the very structure of the relationship between Stellantis and its commercial partners in Europe.
