A 26-year-old driver was injured in a road accident in Strovolos on Tuesday afternoon in an incident preliminarily attributed to the explosion of a defective Takata airbag.
The accident occurred around 15:50 when a 51-year-old driver attempted to turn right from Athinon Avenue onto Kerameikou Street, cutting across the path of a vehicle driven by the 26-year-old. The collision resulted in the younger driver’s injury, who was taken to hospital, received first aid and was subsequently discharged.
Preliminary police examinations at the accident scene revealed suspicions that a defective passenger airbag may have deployed in the 26-year-old’s vehicle. The vehicle was found to be included in the recall list published on 3 February 2025 due to having a defective Takata airbag, but had never been submitted for repair.
The Electromechanical Service will conduct a technical inspection of the vehicle tomorrow as part of the investigation to determine whether the airbag explosion contributed to the driver’s injury.
According to information, the Road Transport Department had sent two written messages to the registered telephone number of the vehicle owner on 3 February and 2 May 2025, informing him that a recall was pending for his vehicle. Despite the notifications, the owner did not respond, whilst the company also sent a message on 10 June 2025 in Greek and English, urging him to submit an application for replacement of the problematic airbag via a relevant link.
According to deputy police inspector Tasos Ashikis, instructions have been given to force members for increased checks aimed at preventing the circulation of vehicles on the immobilisation list due to defective Takata airbags. Although the vehicle in question was not on the list for immediate immobilisation, it was nevertheless included amongst those for which corrective measures should have been taken.
Background context
Defective Takata airbags have become a pressing safety issue in Cyprus, with authorities linking at least two deaths to the faulty components. The most notable case involved 24-year-old Kyriakos Oxinos, who died in January 2023 when his airbag caused fatal injuries rather than protecting him during a crash.
Authorities have identified approximately 71,000 vehicles fitted with Takata airbags, with officials adding another 6,820 vehicles to recall lists in March 2025. Among these, 276 vehicles face immediate immobilisation, including 138 deemed high-risk due to their Takata components.
The airbags contain gas generators that degrade when exposed to heat and humidity, causing them to explode during deployment and propel metal shrapnel at vehicle occupants. Japanese manufacturer Takata Corporation collapsed in 2017 after facing massive compensation claims. Global recalls have affected over 100 million airbag inflators across more than 20 car manufacturers, with 35 deaths worldwide attributed to the defective parts.
Cyprus encounters unique challenges with its vehicle fleet of approximately 810,000 registered cars, including 442,000 second-hand imports. Officials estimate 60% are “grey” imports from third countries, making recall tracking difficult.
Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades issued recall orders in February 2025, setting an eight-month deadline for Takata airbag replacements. Authorities have offered free public transport to owners whose vehicles face immobilisation during repairs.
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