A baffled pensioner has had his car recalled due to an airbag defect - 25 years after he purchased it.

Stuart Rippin, 72, has driven his blue Mitsubishi Colt since 1996 without any problems. 

But he has now been told the airbag is dangerous and could fire shards of metal into passengers' faces.

His car is fitted with a Takata airbag, which was flagged in 2007 after warnings it could deploy explosively.

Stuart, a retired butler, said that he was baffled to receive the letter on July 29 from car manufacturer Mitsubishi warning him of the issue.

Stuart, from Wickford, said: "I thought it was someone having a bit of a prank.

"It just seems strange that we can have cars for 25 years not knowing you don't have a [safe] airbag.

"It's bizarre and laughable but I've had my wife, children and grandchildren in the car and it's potentially dangerous."

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Echo: Stuart Rippin, 72, has driven his blue Mitsubishi Colt since 1996 without any problemsStuart Rippin, 72, has driven his blue Mitsubishi Colt since 1996 without any problems

Stuart believes the problem was flagged by Mitsubishi after he requested a new part for his car from Japan, where the company is based.

He said he's never had any problems with the runaround, which serves mainly as wife Linda's "shopping basket".

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Stuart added: "Not only do I have to wear a face mask when driving I've also got to wear a chin helmet.

"I phoned up the head office and asked someone to explain why it's taken 25 years to tell me there's a fault with the airbag.

"It's not exactly professional to wait all this time.

"It just seems so strange that it's been overlooked. It doesn't make sense to me."

Stuart is booked in at the garage on August 20 for a three-hour repair job to replace the driver's side airbag - but he's vowed to keep driving the car until then.

He explained: "It's only a potential danger. In 25 years it's only let me down once and it wasn't the car, it was the battery.

"The quality and reliability of the car are superb."

The replacement airbag will be fitted free of charge.