Peugeot recalls 308, 3008, 408 and 5008 over interior door handles that may deactivate while driving

What the Australian recall covers

Distributor Inchcape is recalling more than 500 current-generation Peugeot vehicles across four model lines in Australia to fix an issue that may prevent occupants from being able to exit their vehicle. According to CarExpert's report on the recall notice, a total of 550 vehicles are affected, produced between 2024 and 2025, spanning the 308, 3008, 408 and 5008 lines. ¹

In the recall notice quoted by CarExpert, the company states: "Due to a software issue, the interior door handles may deactivate unexpectedly while the engine is running. This may prevent one or more doors from being opened from inside the vehicle." The notice adds that if the handles deactivate, occupants may be unable to exit the vehicle in an emergency, increasing the risk of serious injury or death. ¹

The fault in the Vehicle Supervision Module

The underlying fault sits in software rather than hardware. German recall data published by Auto Service Praxis and carried by Autohaus identifies a malfunction of the VSM — the Vehicle Supervision Module — with the risk that interior door handles are deactivated and occupants may not be able to leave the vehicle. The remedy listed there is a software update to the control unit, recorded under the action code M4B, with completion visible in the workshop documentation. ²

Reporting by 32CARS on the same Stellantis campaign states that the glitch in the Vehicle Supervision Module can randomly deactivate the interior door handles. The German regulator Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) is quoted by 32CARS as describing the handles as deactivating "randomly and unexpectedly", and notes that while this may look like an annoying electronic glitch in normal driving, in a crash, fire or stop in a dangerous location occupants need to get out quickly. ⁴

A global campaign across three brands

The Australian action is part of a much broader Stellantis recall. According to data obtained by 32CARS, the same VSM fault covers 142,708 vehicles worldwide across three brands: 110,065 Peugeots, 6,633 Citroëns and 26,010 Opels. Beyond the Peugeot 5008, 308, 3008 and 408, the affected models include the Citroën C5 X plus the Opel Astra and Grandland. In Germany, 13,285 vehicles are in scope, of which 12,864 are Peugeots, 404 are Citroëns and just 17 are Opels. ⁴

32CARS also reports differing build windows by brand: Peugeot vehicles from 9 October 2023 to 12 February 2026, Citroën from 14 December 2022 to 9 February 2026, and Opel from 11 July 2023 to 4 July 2024, with campaign codes M4B for Peugeot, GX2 for Citroën and KWB for Opel. The KBA is tracking the actions under reference numbers 16644R, 16645R and 16647R, with the status listed as under investigation and supervision. In France, the government recall platform Rappel Conso — as reported by Capital — confirms interior door handles can deactivate with the engine running and lists affected vehicles with specific VIN ranges for the third-generation 308, 408, 3008 and 5008, along with DS4 and DS8 models, and advises owners to check their VIN on the vehicle registration document. ⁴⁵

Build dates: an unresolved discrepancy

There is a discrepancy between sources on the production dates of affected Australian vehicles. CarExpert's report on the Australian recall notice states the 550 vehicles were produced between 2024 and 2025. The German recall database entry published by Autohaus, however, lists the Peugeot production period for this campaign as 9 October 2023 to 12 February 2026 — a window 32CARS attributes to the KBA-documented campaign. On the present evidence these cannot be reconciled, and the range of vehicles captured under the international action appears wider than the Australian figure of 550 suggests. Owners should rely on the VIN list attached to the Australian recall notice to determine whether their vehicle is included. ¹²⁴

The fix and what owners need to do

Peugeot says the issue can be fixed with a software update, but owners of affected vehicles will need to schedule an appointment with an authorised dealer to have it carried out, according to the recall notice reported by CarExpert. Unlike the international situation, where 32CARS reports the VSM update should be simple and in some cases can be delivered over the air, no over-the-air option is described for Australian vehicles, which are instead being directed to dealers. Anyone with questions can contact Peugeot Australia on 1800 307 607, and the recall notice includes a VIN list so owners can check their vehicle. ¹⁴

Context: recent Peugeot recalls in Australia

This is not the only recent Australian action involving these model lines. CarExpert has separately reported that more than 60 Peugeot vehicles produced in 2024 were recalled because they may not display autonomous emergency braking warnings, and, around six months earlier, that over 300 Peugeot 3008 and 5008 vehicles were recalled because bolts on their front suspension arms may break, resulting in a loss of vehicle control. Neither of those earlier recalls relates to the door handle software issue covered here. ¹³