276 vehicles to be immobilised due to TAKATA airbags and brakes recall

The crucial time for the announcement of the decrees on the defective TAKATA airbags, which will result in vehicle recalls, has arrived, with the Minister of Transport releasing detailed information about the measures that will be taken.

The Minister of Transport is also expected to provide information on the detailed compensatory measures he will take, so that citizens who will be affected by the decrees have a means of transportation.

In addition to recalls of vehicles with TAKATA airbags, the ministry's list will also include recalls of other components that were deemed unsuitable and require replacement.

As the Minister of Transport stated, "Today, in accordance with the provisions of the Legislation, decrees are being issued that regulate vehicle recalls. Recalls are regulated by European legislation and their management was included in National legislation in 2010 when it was harmonised with European legislation. Since then, some efforts have been made, through circulars of the Department of Road Transport, to regulate the procedure and to implement rules for implementing recalls."

Alexis Vafeades added that "during this entire period, from 2010 until today, recalls of cars imported from third countries without European type approval have never been regulated. Approximately 810,000 cars are currently registered in Cyprus, of which approximately 442,000 are used. Although some distributors monitor recalls of used cars (without European type approval), it is logically acceptable that for a large number of them, owners are not informed about recalls."

Continuing, Vafeades pointed out that "of all vehicles, approximately 80,000 have been recalled for TAKATA airbags. In recent years, many vehicles have been recalled for other issues, some dangerous and some less dangerous. Consequently, we are called upon today, all together, as a society and as a state, to provide solutions to a timeless problem."

Concluding, the Minister of Transport noted that "through the actions he will undertake and through the powers that the legislation has given to the Department of Road Transport, in collaboration with all those involved, we will solve the problem. According to Regulation 2018/858 of the European Union, the responsibility for risk assessment and recalls lies with the manufacturers, while the Department of Road Transport is responsible for supervision. These responsibilities are not differentiated in the legislation or decrees."

Regarding the decrees, Vafeades pointed out that two decrees are being issued today. "Although the preparation of four decrees was previously mentioned, after the legal review, two were merged into one and the other was decided to be issued depending on market developments and the pace at which the implementation of the recalls will proceed."

Decree on Recalls

Alexis Vafeades announced the 2025 Decree on the Recall Procedure for Category M. N and O Vehicles and explained that the recall procedure is described in detail in the annex to the Decree but briefly provides the following:

-Direct information to owners from distributors and the Department of Road Transport

Distributors immediately inform the Department of Road Transport of all recalls, unlike previously when the TOM was only informed if distributors could not locate the owners.

This allows the Department of Road Transport to,

- quickly inform all owners

-ensure that distributors also immediately inform owners

The previous process of information from distributors continues to apply. Therefore, all citizens are invited to update their information in Department of Road Transport.

-Implementation of general recalls within 18 months or, in the event that the Department of Road Transport deems that the process should be accelerated, faster.

A similar approach is applied in countries such as Germany, Australia and New Zealand where the competent authority supervises recalls and varies implementation times accordingly.

- For cases where the risk is lower, the implementation time is maintained at 18 months.

-When the risk is greater, the Department of Road Transport reduces the time after taking into account the manufacturers' risk assessment.

-If the manufacturers, after assessing the risk, consider that the vehicle must be immobilised, the Department of Road Transport immediately adopts the recommendation and imposes the

Immobilization by removing the Certificate of Fitness and the registration certificate.

-Implementation of the recall and updating of the Department of Road Transport.

Decree for information through certificates and declarations

The Minister of Transport then referred to the Certificate for Category M.N Vehicles and the Decree of 2025, which is the decree that obliges everyone who registers or transfers vehicles to provide the competent authority with a certificate that:

-the vehicle is not subject to a recall and that

-has been added to the distributor's database for future information regarding recalls.

The process aims to ensure, among other things,

-filling gaps identified in informing owners about recalls and

- that upon registration and transfer, the cars are free of recalls.

Exceptions apply for the following cases:

-If there is no manufacturer (such as Saab)

-If there is no known recall procedure (such as for older vehicles for which no records are kept)

-If there is no representative or distributor of the manufacturer in Cyprus (such as for vehicles imported second-hand)

In cases of exceptions, owners will submit a declaration for the recalls accompanied by certificates from a survey they will conduct on the manufacturers' website or another certification body that will be announced by the Department of Road Transport. Details of the procedure are included in the TOM circular that will be published. Note:

This arrangement applies for as long as the emergency measures provided for by the legislation are in force. The Department of Road Transport is working to strengthen the information chain of vehicle owners and will attempt to include these vehicles in the databases of manufacturing companies or to cooperate with foreign certification organizations that have access to the manufacturers' register. This action is expected to be completed soon.

276 vehicles are to be immobilised

The Minister of Transport then pointed out that for 138 vehicles that are subject to a recall for TAKATA airbags, the manufacturers have assessed the risk and have concluded that they must be immobilised, while the Certificate of Conformity has been suspended and the registration certificate has been cancelled. He added that the owners will be informed by the distributor and, in addition, by the Department of Road Transport. On the website where all vehicles with recalls will be posted, these vehicles will also bear a corresponding indication informing about the imposition of immobilisation.

Vafeades made a statement, emphasising that the Department of Road Transport has recently been informed of another 138 vehicles with a recall for brakes for which the manufacturer's instructions are not to circulate. For these, the Certificate of Suitability has also been suspended and the registration permit has been canceled, bringing the total number of vehicles that are immobilised to 276.

The Minister of Transport noted that approximately 80,000 cars are being recalled for airbags. All are included in a table posted on the website of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, which contains information about each vehicle.

"Owners are invited to contact the manufacturers' distributors for more information regarding the risk and to set a date for the implementation of the recall. With its announcement, the Department of Road Transport has revised the time given for the specific case of completion of the recalls for TAKATA airbags from 18 months to 8 months."

Vafeades noted that this decision was based on the risk assessment of manufacturers who highlight the risk but do not immobilise the vehicles, and on the practice applied in other countries such as Germany, Australia and New Zealand, which give time for the implementation of the recall when manufacturers do not impose their immobilisation.

"Finally, for vehicles under airbag recall that do not have a immobilisation instruction from the manufacturers, a period of 8 months is given for its implementation."

Also read: These are the vehicles under recall for airbags - See the detailed lists of each company

(Source: Reporter)