Approximately 33,000 vehicle recalls for defective Takata airbags remain pending from an initial 81,000 cases, Cyprus Road Transport Department (RTD) data shows, as an early October deadline approaches.
The figures, updated through last week, reflect delays caused by summer closures at several companies, the RTD confirmed. The 33,000 outstanding cases include approximately 5,000 immobilised vehicles and 2,000 deregistered units, reducing the actual number requiring repairs before the October deadline.
Authorities have identified an additional 15,000 vehicles requiring recalls for the same defect, with owners given eight months from notification to complete repairs. Repair procedures have commenced for these vehicles, though priority remains on immediately immobilised units and original list vehicles facing earlier deadlines.
Road Transport Department identifies additional 15,000 vehicles requiring recalls
The RTD receives regular updates from companies regarding recall completion rates. Multiple companies maintain available appointments, with the department urging non-responsive owners to schedule repairs immediately.
The recall programme addresses defective Takata airbag systems that pose safety risks to vehicle occupants. Cyprus joins international efforts to address the widespread automotive safety issue affecting millions of vehicles globally.
Companies maintain available appointments as October deadline approaches
Repair scheduling continues across authorised service centres, with companies reporting capacity to handle remaining cases before the October deadline.
Background context
Takata airbags contained defective inflators that could rupture with excessive force, projecting metal fragments into vehicle cabins and causing serious injuries or death. The crisis began in 2010 in the United States and expanded globally, ultimately affecting over 100 million vehicles worldwide in what became one of the largest automotive recalls in history.
Cyprus faced particular challenges due to its substantial “grey” vehicle market – used cars imported from other countries with minimal oversight requirements. Under Cyprus law, these vehicles needed only to be less than five years old for import, creating a regulatory gap where hundreds of thousands of potentially dangerous vehicles entered the market without proper recall mechanisms to notify owners of safety defects.
The investigation focused on three serious incidents, two fatal, involving Takata airbag explosions in vehicles circulating in Cyprus. Particular emphasis was placed on the Road Transport Department circular dated 21 March 2017, which the committee found left an information and responsibility gap by relieving importers of obligation to inform about “grey” vehicle recalls.
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