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With the clock ticking toward an October deadline, Cyprus officials are urging drivers to act fast: nearly 40% of vehicles recalled for dangerous airbags have yet to be fixed.
According to figures obtained by the Cyprus News Agency on Friday, around 35,000 cars still haven’t had their faulty airbags replaced out of the original 81,000 on the Department of Road Transport’s recall list. That’s despite multiple warnings and easy access to repair appointments, authorities said.
While some replacements may not yet be registered in the system, officials say the remaining number is still alarmingly high, especially considering that the deadline to comply is October 3. After that, affected cars will lose their roadworthiness certificate, effectively banning them from the roads.
To make matters worse, about 3,000 of the still-listed vehicles are either written off or too damaged to be repaired, which means a significant number of drivable cars remain unsafe.
The recall involves defective Takata airbags, which have been linked to serious injuries and fatalities worldwide due to the risk of the airbags exploding with too much force.
The Road Transport Department has also issued an urgent notice to 1,314 BMW drivers to stop driving their cars immediately following a warning from the manufacturer. BMW has reportedly been proactive in addressing the issue, and appointment slots remain available at dealerships for anyone who hasn't yet booked.
On Friday, authorities expanded the recall again, this time to include 99 Citroën vehicles with similar airbag defects. Their roadworthiness certificates have already been revoked, and owners are urged to contact CiC Automasters, the brand’s distributor in Cyprus, for next steps.
Officials are pleading with drivers to take the matter seriously. “The appointments are there. The parts are there. All we need is for drivers to show up,” a Transport Department representative said.
Drivers can check their vehicle’s recall status and book a free replacement through their car dealer or by contacting the Road Transport Department.
