35,000 recalled cars have not had their airbags replaced

A total of 35,000 of the more than 80,000 vehicles which were recalled in February following a decree issued by Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades due to the fact they had been fitted with dangerous airbags have not yet had their airbags replaced, the road transport department said on Friday.

Affected vehicle owners were at the time given eight months – until October 3 – to replace their vehicles’ airbags. If they do not, their vehicles’ MOT certificates will be rendered invalid with immediate effect and will remain so until the airbags are replaced.

The issue of airbags stems from the production of faulty airbags by Japanese company Takata. The company’s airbags suffer a fault related to exposure to high levels of heat or humidity, which means they have a tendency to explode when released under such circumstances.

This explosion shoots the airbag’s metal inflator outwards and in the direction of the person it was designed to protect, potentially causing further injuries or, in some cases, death.

Faulty airbags have caused two deaths in Cyprus, those of Styliani Giorgalli last year and Kyriakos Oxinos in 2023, while Alexandros Lougos has so far undergone 21 surgeries to restore his face after being involved in an accident in 2017.

Motorists can check whether their vehicles have been subject to recalls on the transport ministry’s website.

Those who have had their vehicles’ airbags changed are urged to contact the road transport department on [email protected] so that their vehicles can be removed from the list.

Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades had at the start of February decreed the recall of over 80,000 cars which are fitted with potentially fatal Takata airbags, all of which are to be replaced over a period of eight months. Exactly 276 vehicles were immobilised immediately and as such have had their road tax and MOT certificates rescinded.

Owners of recalled vehicles not on the list of 276 are entitled to use them without restrictions but are required to make an appointment with their car’s manufacturer’s Cyprus-based distributor within eight months to have their airbags replaced before the October 3 deadline.

Their road tax and MOT certificates remain valid until then.

The transport ministry “recommends” that those with recalled vehicles do not use them and use other vehicles and other methods of transport. However, there is no obligation for people to follow this recommendation, and motorists are not at risk of paying a fine for using their vehicles until October 3.