Cyprus Mail 11 December 2024 - by Iole Damaskinos
Dealers are legally obligated to replace faulty Takata airbags free of charge, the director of the road transport department, Andreas Louka, said on Wednesday. This comes as the consumer protection association investigates public complaints about surcharges.
Thousands of vehicles are expected to be recalled under a parliamentary bill likely to be approved on Thursday. The bill outlines procedures for removing vehicles with unresolved recall issues from circulation.
“Recalls of all sorts happen on a daily basis by manufacturers on the Rapex database,” Louka told CyBC.
Under the new regulations, vehicle owners will be required to provide a signed declaration confirming their car is free of recall issues, either at the time of purchase or during MOT inspections, Louka explained.
Most companies are complying with the free checking and replacement of faulty airbags, as is required, he said.
Most companies are complying with the legal requirement to check and replace faulty airbags at no cost. However, complaints about additional fees, such as “administrative costs” ranging from €120 to €500, are being reviewed by the consumer protection association, Louka said.
“The manufacturer is clearly obligated by law to undertake compensatory measures and dealers were to be informed of recalls,” he added.
Citing an example, Louka mentioned Geo. Pavlides proactively addressing the recall of Mazda Demios, imported from outside the EU, for faulty passenger-side airbags.
Louka urged the public to submit correct and updated personal information to the transport department online or in person, in order for the latter to be enabled to send out recall notices.
Regarding the timeline for airbag replacements, Louka stated that manufacturers are working at “breakneck speed” to meet global demand.
“[Domestic] dealers may need to hire additional staff to expedite replacements,” he said.
The upcoming bill would mean that if the new part is not installed three months from the receipt of a recall notice, the car’s MOT is automatically rescinded.
If the recalled component is one which creates a serious danger, as in the case of the Takata airbags, the car is immediately immobilised, as soon as the recall notice is sent out.
Louka acknowledged that some vehicle owners might face lengthy waits for replacement parts due to the global scale of the recall issue. The transport ministry is exploring social support measures and reviewing best practices from other EU member states to address these delays.
While the road transport department has published a list of affected vehicles on its website, users report that it is not exhaustive. Louka advised owners of cars imported from third countries to contact their dealers directly for information.
