Antonio, 68 years old, Zaragoza.

“I’m Antonio, a 68-year-old retiree living in Zaragoza. I bought my Citroën C3 Aircross in 2019, just after retiring. I thought it would be the perfect car to enjoy my free time, go on trips with my wife, and visit my grandchildren. It has only done 35.000 km because we only use it for short trips and the occasional outing.

However, a few months ago it started to have issues. First, there was a strange noise in the engine, then the car began to lose power on hills. I took it to the garage and they told me that the timing belt was disintegrating, contaminating the engine oil and damaging other parts. The repair cost 4.500 euros. For me, that amount is a very hard blow.

With my pension, it’s not easy to face such large expenses. Also, I lost confidence in the car. What if it fails again? I joined the claim against Stellantis because it’s not fair that we, the customers, have to pay for a factory defect. And, honestly, I worry about leaving this problem to my children. God forbid, if something were to happen to me, the last thing I want is for them to inherit a car with these defects and have to bear the costs. I hope for compensation that covers not only the repair costs but also the depreciation of the car. I feel betrayed by a brand I trusted and I want justice to be served. We, retirees, have worked our whole lives to enjoy our old age, and now this is a worry we don’t need.”